Children of Two Worlds
by BK Love-ah
Summary: Laken never thought she would lose her parents, but by means of a horrid shuttlecraft accident, they are gone in an instant, leaving her with nobody to understand her. However, when the Human wife of a Vulcan ambassador brings Laken to a strange new environment, the child quickly forms a bond with a young boy who, like her, is a child of two worlds. I DO NOT OWN STAR TREK. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoy the first chapter.**_

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 _Earth; Seattle, Washington; 2242_

"Don't go too far, sweetheart."

"I won't!"

Roksana smiled as her daughter Laken chased butterflies by the edge of the lake. It was so easy to feel happy when she looked at the child, as it had been since she was born ten years earlier. There were some exceptions, of course. Her eldest daughter Abilene had disappeared when Laken was five, and to this day, Roksana didn't understand why. She'd left her home planet of Ryos when Abilene was one, hoping to make a better life for them both. It wasn't that her first husband was cruel, but he expected her to always stay in the home while he worked in interior design. So one day, she simply took the infant to Earth and never looked back.

 _But still, why would she…?_

Even after Laken was born to her and Jack, the love of her life, Roksana didn't show Abilene any less attention. The young Ryosian was loved, and never wanted for anything. Despite all this, not long after she turned twenty-two, Abilene was gone without a trace. And after all this time, Roksana had no inkling of where she might have gone. The Ryosian High Powers had no record of the young woman landing on the planet, nor had the Human officials found her. If Abilene were dead, her mother surely would have felt their bond break. But it hadn't…not yet. Until it did, she would hold onto her hopes that wherever her firstborn was, she was safe.

Still, Roksana was able to find happiness through her Human husband and their daughter, who was a wonderful mix of them both. There were the physical features, of course. Ryosians were almost Human at a glance, save for the colored bands lining their bottom eyelids. Each individual was different, and children's bands depended on the colors of their parents'. While Jack wasn't a Ryosian, his blue eyes combined with Roksana's yellow bands resulted in Laken's eyes being lined with a light green color. The girl had also gotten her mother's curly red hair, along with her love of music. They would often dance in the living room to all sorts of songs, including various classical pieces from the distant past. Laken inherited her intense love of exploring from her father, who enjoyed hiking whenever he wasn't working in the nearby archives. She was such a fascinating little girl, and somehow, Roksana was able to use her love for one child to deal with grieving the loss of the other one.

"Excuse me, miss, do I know you?"

Roksana turned around from where she was sitting, immediately standing at the sight of her husband. A rush of joy propelled her into his arms.

"Are you looking forward to your birthday dinner tonight?"

"Oh, don't remind me."

Jack was somewhat sensitive regarding his age, though he was only thirty-five. But Roksana figured the real reason was that he knew he wouldn't live as long as she would. Most Ryosians usually lived to be at least two hundred years old, and she was only forty-seven. But most wouldn't realize this. Ryosians all stopped physically aging between thirteen and eighty Earth years, and by a funny coincidence, Roksana was thirty-five when she stopped aging. Her husband had caught up to her.

"No worries," she told him, kissing the tip of his nose. "I'll always love you, no matter how old you get."

"Daddy!"

"Oh, there's my girl!" Jack lifted Laken into his arms with a cheerful laugh, forgetting his insecurities. "You remember what tonight is, right?"

"Mom's taking you to celebrate your birthday."

"Exactly. We won't be too late getting back, but you'll be good while we're gone?"

"Yes."

"Which means…"

"I'll brush my teeth and be in bed by eight on the dot."

"That's right. We'll make sure to come in and kiss you when we're back."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

The three of them took one last look at the lake and headed back to their humble abode.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What's the matter, Rok?"

"Oh," the woman scoffed, looking out the shuttlecraft window. "You know I hate it when you call me that."

"No, really." Jack came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. "Something's wrong."

"I was just thinking of Abilene today."

"Sweetheart. You can't keep beating yourself up. I miss her too, but…I don't know. Some things can't be explained."

"Well, most telepaths aren't used to that."

"I know. Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

"Keep being you." Roksana turned around in his arms, looping hers around his neck. "I wouldn't have survived without your support."

"You're stronger than you know, Roksana."

"We're stronger together."

They went in for a kiss, but were quickly ripped apart when the shuttlecraft took a dive.

" _ **Take evasive ac—**_ "

The loudspeaker was cut off by a piercing bang. Jack saw a fiery flash from the corner of his eye, and though she instinctively knew all was about to end, Roksana vainly held onto her inner bonds with every bit of her strength.

 _Abilene…Laken—_

OOOOOOOOOOO

The redheaded girl suddenly sat up in bed, pulling her stuffed dog Fluffy to her chest. She hadn't heard anything, but an unsettling feeling had rippled down her spine. It felt as though something had snapped like a worn-out rubber band. Though her parents' rules about staying up late were prominent in her mind, Laken shakily scrambled to her feet, put on her slippers, and wandered to the kitchen. The clock said it was almost eleven.

 _That's late. Are they still at dinner?_

She turned on the small screen by the gas stove, fumbling for something that would take the anxiety away. But what she saw on the screen had the entirely opposite effect.

"…a fatal collision of two shuttlecrafts that occurred earlier this evening. There were no survivors from either vehicle, and authorities are still trying to identify any passengers. So far, we have obtained records that a local married couple was aboard one of the crafts. The names: Roksana and Jack Naftali."

Laken didn't let herself take in the newswoman's words, but when pictures of her parents showed up in front of the footage of the wreckage, something fell apart.

 _Their ID photos…_

She pulled Fluffy even closer, feeling her whole essence cave in. Not even bothering to turn off the screen, Laken backed into the living room. Her blue eyes darted around, trying to focus on anything but the truth. A picture of her sister soon entered her vision. She remembered the day Abilene vanished, just as (like all other Ryosians) she remembered every second of her life since her moment of birth. She remembered her mother's smile upon glancing at another nearby picture, along with the sound of her father's laugh. Things she would never see or hear again…

Without thinking, she ran out the front door of her apartment, scurried down the stairs, and propelled herself into the night. It was raining now, but she didn't care. All she could do was run, clutching the dog to her heart. She didn't notice when she finally stopped around a familiar broken-down corner. Her vision had darkened, making it difficult to see the streetlights. Laken knew what was happening to her, but she welcomed it at this point. Ryosians were susceptible to extreme sadness, and without someone to support them, they could slip into a grief trance. If another Ryosian, or at least a being with telepathic powers, couldn't bring them out of the trance within three weeks, they would literally drown in the darkness of their own heartbreak. The child's last conscious thought was of her parents, and how she would soon be with them again.

OOOOOOOOOO

Amanda Grayson fastened the cloak around her shoulders as she stepped out onto the street. It was hard to get used to Vulcan clothing again, but her two-week visit with her aunt and cousins had to end at some point. Besides, she longed to be reunited with the husband and son that awaited her on the far-away planet. The older woman wondered if she would find a shuttlecraft nearby that would take her to the Vulcan-bound ship, but something suddenly distracted her.

A young girl was sitting on a crate just around the corner. She seemed to be clutching a stuffed animal, but otherwise, there was no sign of consciousness. Amanda tentatively wandered over and knelt in front of the child.

"Honey, where's your mom and dad?" No response. "Sweetie?"

She went to take the child's shoulder, but she soon noticed that her irises and pupils were completely green, just like the lines beneath the small eyes.

"Noticed, huh?"

Amanda turned around to see a boy going through the trash.

"What?"

"That kid's parents burned up or something. Officers say they've been looking for her for two weeks, but you're the first that's actually stopped to look at her. I'd have told them, but…just looks so sad, doesn't she?"

The woman wondered why she hadn't heard of this, but then again, her aunt didn't believe in staring at screens all day.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I dunno, some sort of misery trance. Heard somewhere that only aliens with mind powers can wake them, or they'll die."

Realizing the planetary origin of the child, Amanda's heart ached as she stared down at her.

 _She can't be any older than Spock, probably younger. Poor thing…_

"Lady, unless you're a mind-reader, you probably can't help."

For the next several moments, Amanda battled with herself. There might've been other beings like this girl on Earth at the moment, beings that could fix her condition, but she felt personally responsible for her. Whoever this little one was, she no longer had a mother or a father. If the same thing were to happen to her own son…she couldn't even fathom it. With that knowledge in mind, the choice quickly became clear.

"No, I can't help her. But I know someone who can."

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	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

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Amanda breathed a bit easier when the ship finally landed on Vulcan. It was quite a chore to convince Seattle's officials to let her take the child to her distant home, but they didn't really have any other alternatives. There was no other family member to care for her, so aside from putting her in an orphanage, they were basically clueless about what to do. Luckily, Amanda's reputation as the Vulcan ambassador's wife was good enough for them to pass the issue on to her.

And what an issue it was. If the girl had already been in this state for two weeks, she was surely in greater danger now. But as soon as Amanda could get her husband, who was probably in another conference, the child would hopefully be cured of whatever ailed her. In the meantime, all the woman could think to do was bring her to the homestead in ShiKahr. It wasn't styled like the homes on Earth, but Amanda wanted to think that it was comforting enough. Upon bringing her young guest through the door and into the sitting room, she turned to see Spock sitting on the couch.

"Mother, welcome h—"

The boy's words froze when he noticed the crimson-haired girl behind his mother. She looked Human, but the condition of her eyes told a different story.

"Spock, I'm sorry. I'll explain later, but this girl…she'll die if a telepath doesn't treat her in time. Would you please watch her while I look for your father?"

The Vulcan boy was taken aback, but nodded. Amanda smiled in gratitude before pulling her hood back up and departing. Spock watched as the girl walked lifelessly into a nearby corner. She didn't seem to be conscious, but was somehow able to maneuver herself into a sitting position while also holding onto a toy animal. A dormant desire to find answers to his questions prodded Spock to wander over and kneel before her.

 _Ryosian…_

Seeing the green bands was a strong identifying factor, but the boy was puzzled by the matching color of the eyes themselves. Having focused almost entirely on pure control until now, he was only just starting to learn about other species. Still, his Human mother mentioned that the girl needed help from a telepath. His own skills within that area had yet to grow, but he found himself overwhelmed with a curiousity that could only be described as Human.

Once he remembered the proper hand position, Spock rested his fingers against the girl's face and began the connection.

OOOOOOOOOOO

It was almost over. Laken could feel it. She no longer felt any physical sensations, but her brain knew the truth. Before long, she would move on to whatever awaited after this life, wherever her parents were waiting now…

Just then, she felt something else. There was another essence within hers, someone trying to get in. At least, it seemed like someone. But who could it be? Who would care enough? Upon getting past this apprehensive state, Laken allowed her mind to project her thoughts.

 _Who's there? Who are you?_

She didn't hear anything for a while, though someone was definitely there. But before she could process the silence, it was broken.

 _I am called Spock._

The ambient voice sounded masculine, but it wasn't deep. Whoever this was, he was only a child as well.

 _What are you doing in my head?_

 _I am unsure of that myself. I suppose I wished to learn more of your condition._

 _My…? Look, I don't know who you are, but can you please leave me in peace?_

 _No, I don't believe so. Mother said you would die without intervention._

 _Well, I don't want to be "intervened" with._

 _Why is that?_

Laken was starting to feel irritated, but this person just seemed so genuine. And she was already starting to _feel_ again. An unexpected will to live swelled within her, enough for her to push past the agony and reply.

 _My parents are dead._

There was another pause as her visitor took this in.

 _I grieve with thee._

The girl was a little weirded out by his old-fashioned choice of words, but he continued nonetheless.

 _What are you called?_

 _Laken…_

 _Laken, it would be illogical for your mother and father to want you to follow them in death._

 _What makes you think they were logical?_

 _Ryosians are emotional, but are quite capable of reason._

 _Well, I'm not fully Ryosian anyways. My dad was a Human._

This gave Spock pause. There were other crossbreeds aside from him? What had this girl experienced? Was she accepted, or was she tormented as he was? He wanted to know, but Vulcan custom forbade the practice of looking through memories without consent. Perhaps Laken would speak more of this in the future, but for now, he had to concentrate on saving her life.

 _My mother is a Human. My father is Vulcan._

 _Vulcan?_

 _Yes. We follow the traditions of logical thought, but Mother's presence has instilled an inevitable Human perspective within me. And it would be inhuman for your family to desire your demise._

No matter how badly she wanted to deny this, the child knew Spock was right. Roksana was a strong believer in moving forward in life, despite any hardships that would be endured. Jack was strength personified, and would definitely want his daughter to walk on, even if it was without him. Yes…Laken knew all of this, but the lonliness was still unendurable.

 _I can't._

 _You will not be alone. There are infinite chances for prosperity within the universe, far too many for you to not have one._

 _How can you be so sure?_

 _I am not, but…I believe you should give yourself a chance to live your life._

The darkness was beginning to diminish. Laken could feel the tears filling her eyes just as a blurry light emerged.

 _Come back, Laken,_ Spock continued. _Follow my thoughts, follow my voice. Return to your life…please._

Before long, Laken heard his voice through her own ears. It was blurry, but she could see him now. He seemed to be around her age, maybe twelve or so. His eyes were brown, and his efficiently cropped black hair put his pointed ears on display. The girl's tears finally broke free, and her arms flailed a bit as she got used to moving again.

"Be calm," Spock told her, carefully pulling her close with his free arm to still her thrashes. "You're safe."

Feeling a desperate need for comfort, Laken let herself be drawn in and rested her head on the Vulcan boy's shoulder. He stiffened a bit, but lowered his melding hand after making sure no trace of the trance remained. Spock felt a few strands of something inexplicable before realizing that a bond had been created between them. It wasn't what he and T'Pring had done about five years earlier, but it was similar. He felt her heartbreak and her loss, along with her desire to be soothed. So he stayed like that, allowing her to release her emotions. But soon, something caught his eye.

Amanda was standing in the doorway, along with Ambassador Sarek. The elder Vulcan always had a regal presence, but at this moment, Spock could see a flicker of disappointment in his father's dark eyes. Remembering himself, the boy took Laken's arms and gradually moved her back. The weeping child wiped at her eyes, following her new friend's gaze. Though the Vulcan man looked somewhat daunting, she was quickly drawn to the Human woman's expression. It soon hit her that she was in a completely unfamiliar house, but the woman gently led her to another room before she could think about it more.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" she asked, sitting Laken upon a bed.

"Yeah, I…I think so." It was becoming too difficult to ignore her surroundings. "Where am I?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't explain. You're on Vulcan."

The girl was shocked. She knew Spock was partly Vulcan, and whoever that other man was, he appeared to be Vulcan as well. But she was actually on a whole different planet?

"How did…?"

"Nobody knew of any other people from Ryos that were on Earth, and I didn't know what else to do." After a small pause, the woman smiled softly. "What's your name?"

"Laken Naftali."

"I'm Amanda. My husband Sarek is in the other room, and I think you've met my son."

 _Oh, she's Spock's mother?_

"How did you find me?"

"You were out on the streets in Seattle. Well, you and this little guy."

She patted the top of Fluffy's head, prompting Laken to smile a bit.

"Fluffy. My sister gave him to me when I was four."

"Oh, you have a sister?"

"Yes, but…I don't know where she is. She left Earth five years ago."

"Do you have anyone else?"

"No, I don't."

The girl's eyes teared up upon remembering, and Amanda laid a kind hand upon her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Laken." The two of them were silent for a minute or so. "Honey, since you don't have any other family…if you want to go back to Earth, that's fine. But how would you feel if Sarek and I were to adopt you?"

Laken wasn't expecting to hear anything like this. On any other day, she would be flabbergasted at the idea of being adopted by strangers. But in an instant, her only remaining family had been taken from her. The void in her heart needed to be filled by something, and from what she'd seen so far, this woman was hardly the worst choice.

"You…you don't have to."

"It would be an honor. Things are far different on Vulcan than they are on Earth, but you'd have a comfortable home for as long as you need it."

The grieving youth found herself unable and unwilling to refuse this offer. After pulling Fluffy as close as possible, she nodded.

"Okay."

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

 **pandorablueskies-** **Thanks so much for your thoughts!**

 **ChocolateWolfey-** **I'm really glad you're enjoying it =)**

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"Sarek, I know this is unusual, but—"

"Unusual is hardly the term I would use to describe this situation."

"So you'd rather let her be put into an orphan house?"

"You said she has an older sister."

"Who hasn't been seen or heard from in five years."

The Vulcan turned away and paced next to the bed momentarily before speaking again.

"She obviously doesn't have any mastery over her emotions."

"Her parents just _died_."

"I understand that, but what of Spock? He is attempting to improve his own control. The girl's presence could be detrimental to his logical growth."

"Oh, like I am?"

The woman went in the direction of the door, only for her husband to stop her with a gentle hand on her arm.

"You know that was not what I meant." After a brief pause, she made herself relax. "Amanda, you have grown accustomed to the Vulcan way of life." He lowered his own arm and waited for his wife's eyes to meet his before continuing. "This child's upbringing has been quite different."

"She doesn't have anyone else." In a daring move, the Human stepped forward and lightly took her spouse's hand. "Please, Sarek."

It felt like an eternity of waiting. However, Amanda soon recognized the acquiescing look in the Vulcan's expression. He even allowed her to brush her two fingers against his prior to him leaving for his office.

"Very well. I shall contact the Terran Embassy now."

"Thank you. You won't regret it."

"Regret is a Human emotion, my wife."

She couldn't keep from smiling at this.

 _It certainly is._

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Do you find this planet agreeable, or do you wish you were returning to Earth?"

Laken sat further back into her spot on the sofa, eventually glancing back at Spock.

"Nothing seems wrong with here. But I didn't know people at home anyways."

"You…you did not have comrades within your studies?" the boy asked, letting his fascination take over again.

"Not really. I kind of kept to myself."

"I see." He paused momentarily before going on. "Were others…unkind?"

"No, it wasn't that. They stared sometimes, so I made the choice to not say much."

She didn't know why she was being so open with this person, but then again, there was obviously some sort of connection between them. And Spock seemed to notice it too, since his posture wasn't as rigid anymore. The girl's own curiousity soon prodded her to ask her own questions.

"Were others unkind to _you?_ "

"Were, and are."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorrow is a Human emotion."

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Laken answered.

"Well, I'm half-Human, remember? So are you."

"Indeed."

"Is that why…?" The boy nodded this time. "Mom used to say that a lot of kids lash out at people who are different. 'They're still developing,' she said, 'so they don't know any better.' I don't know if that helps, but…"

She trailed off as Spock straightened his posture again. Noticing that Sarek and Amanda were approaching the not-so-padded couch, Laken's stance stiffened as well. While the Human woman moved to sit between the two children, Sarek remained standing before speaking.

"The Terran officials have processed the adoption. You will reside on Vulcan until you reach the age of eighteen Earth years, at which point you will have the option of going off-world." The child relaxed momentarily, only to frown at the Vulcan's next words. "While you are in this house, you will live by our culture's rules and customs. You will not be forward with your emotions in ways that will distract Spock from his studies, nor will you draw improper attention to yourself in the presence of others. Is this clear?"

If she wasn't already exhausted from crying, Laken's eyes might have watered again. How could he be so unfeeling? Every planet was different, of course, but the man's demeanor was downright stony. Still, she made herself respond.

"Yes."

Sarek glanced at his wife, who appeared to be gesturing to the girl with her eyes. It was a quick moment, but due to what the Vulcan said next, it must have meant something.

"You are also welcome to use my resources in following any course of study that you wish. And you will be safe here."

Though his posture was still intimidating, the tone of his voice had softened a little bit.

"Okay," Laken said, unsure of any other word to use.

"I grieve with thee." Before the child could think of the right way to thank him, the dull tone returned. "You may reside in the guest room Amanda has prepared."

With that, he turned and retreated to the other part of the house. Spock also got up from the couch and went to his own room, leaving the two females alone. But Amanda soon got rid of the tension.

"Don't worry, Laken. You can be as emotional as you want around me. Sarek knows you're not Vulcan."

"So I won't need to use words like 'thee' and 'thou' with everyone?"

"No," Amanda chuckled. "He just wants you to…'reign it back,' emotionally. But this is _your_ home too." The woman moved a bit closer to her new child. "You should get some sleep. But tomorrow, let me know if I can send for anything from Earth that you want."

"I don't want to trouble you."

"It's only right that you're comfortable. Sleep on it, and we can make a list in the morning. Okay?"

The girl nodded, letting herself smile a bit.

"Thanks."

After getting ready for bed, Laken moved beneath the sheets and tucked Fluffy beneath her arm. The mattress wasn't as comfortable as one of her mother's beds, but it would do. She closed her eyes, remembering that she wasn't in her home anymore. Roksana and Jack had a very old-fashioned style. They had a few screens around, but there was an actual wooden front door. The family used a stove that looked like one of the gas-powered ones from ancient times. And, of course, there were the feather mattresses. This home was different. It was very clean, but everything was just like the house's owner: stiff, colorless, and void of feeling.

Thinking about this made the girl's eyes heavy enough to fall asleep. She soon did exactly that, right after shedding a few more tears for her family.

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	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

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 _Vulcan; ShiKahr; 2247_

Laken moved her long red locks out of her face with a jerk of her head, trying not to move any more than she had to. Sarek was in the middle of reprimanding her yet again. This had turned into some sort of ritual for them. Seemingly at least once a week for the last five years, the teenager committed some sort of unforgivable emotional infraction. Funnily enough, the only one outwardly bothered by it was Sarek.

She and Amanda were very close. It was hard to be unemotional all the time, but the two of them would often retreat to the older woman's garden behind the house. Unlike the rest of the property, this spot had a great deal of color. There was also some distance between the garden and the house, allowing them to be as unrestrained as they wanted.

"Can I ask you something?" Laken asked one time, waiting until her adoptive mother nodded. "How have you not lost your mind here?"

Amanda laughed before answering.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Yes, I will."

"Sarek." The girl gave her a disbelieving look. "I'm serious. If it weren't for him, I'd be clinically insane by now."

"But he…"

She didn't know how to finish that without it coming out as an insult, but the other woman answered all the same.

"Laken, you need to remember—"

"I know. Vulcans have emotions, but they just suppress them."

"And Sarek isn't like most Vulcans. He married a Human when tradition demanded otherwise. He has more depth than you think."

Though she was glad Amanda could see this so-called depth, Laken was never able to truly get along with the Vulcan man. There were no conversations during meals, and for hours at a time, everyone would be in the sitting room in complete silence. Any of Laken's attempts to start discussions would always bring mere one-word responses; she'd given up trying three years ago. Basically, the only time Sarek spoke to her was when she did something wrong, like today.

That afternoon, while Sarek was at the embassy and Amanda was tending to her garden, Laken was dancing to a tape of Earth music. Her adoptive mother had been kind enough to send for a large collection. It was her best attempt to keep the memories alive. And in the middle of one song, the seventeen-year-old Spock had wandered into her room.

"I still do not understand the logic in frolicking to obtrusive noise."

"Spock, this is _music_. Haven't you studied Earth's history?"

"Yes, but the history is in a somewhat different form than this."

"Stop," Laken told the computer, waiting until the song halted. "Music is a vital part of Terran culture. It's also exercise."

"Exercise?"

"Yep. Wouldn't you say it's logical to keep the body healthy by means of exercise?"

Spock raised an eyebrow in an expression his sister had come to adore.

"What would make this a better form of exercise than other activities?"

Taking the challenge, Laken moved her limbs.

"When you dance, your whole body is free. If you're fully embroiled in the movements, it's a lot healthier."

She turned the song back on, and after a few minutes of helping Spock acclimate to the beat, they were both dancing. They certainly wouldn't appear on any ancient form of televised theatre like "Dancing With the Stars," but it was a big step. That is, until the music came to a stop. The look on Sarek's face was eerily calm, but Laken knew the meaning of that flash in his eyes.

"You seem to be under the impression that Vulcan discipline is a humorous matter," he told her. "Perhaps it is on Earth, but it is the base of our very essence here. Every time Spock succumbs to your emotional distractions, he falls further behind in reaching his greatest logical potential."

"I apologize."

"You apologized three days ago, and last week. And here we are once again."

"I'm not trying to making things difficult, sir. I'll try harder not to project on Spock as much anymore."

"As much?"

"I'll try not to project on him."

"See to it that you do not."

When it was finally over, Laken wandered back to her room. She'd kept her cool every time this happened, but her secret desire to tick him off was getting stronger with each occurrence.

 _One of these days…_

She brushed it aside as her footsteps changed course, avoiding her door to approach Spock's. Once her sibling let her in, she leaned a shoulder against the wall and spoke.

"Listen, I didn't mean to get you in trouble today."

Spock looked up from his PADD, appearing almost surprised.

"The concept of being 'in trouble' doesn't have basis here, Laken. Even if it did, Father does not see me as being the guilty party. I told him of my willingness to participate in the activity of dancing, but he maintained his belief that I wouldn't have done so had it not been for you. If anyone got anybody 'in trouble,' I did so to you. And for that, I beg forgiveness."

"You don't have to beg forgiveness for this. Not from me, at least." Spock looked ready to protest, but Laken continued. "I know you've chosen the Vulcan way. I really do. But with me, personally, you don't have to be ashamed. You're half-Human, so that'll show sometimes."

"I suppose," the young man said, looking back at the PADD before returning his sister's gaze. "I'll admit, I…felt certain emotions when Sybok left, similar to what you felt when your sister disappeared."

"And there's nothing wrong with that. Again, from my personal perspective. Of course, you'll follow the Vulcan path and whatnot, but don't beat yourself up for momentary lapses."

"Those 'lapses' are detrimental."

"Is that just what Sarek says?"

"Are you implying that he is incorrect?"

"I'm implying that he's not as understanding with you as he should be."

Spock didn't answer for a while, filling in the blanks for the girl.

 _He feels this way as well._

Before too long, the young man looked back down and continued what he was doing. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, his sister changed the subject.

"What are you looking at?"

"I have been doing some personal research into…Starfleet."

"Oh, really?"

Laken remembered Jack talking about Starfleet a lot. He wasn't a member, as he worked in a smaller branch of archives. But every now and then, Starfleet officials would stop into the premises for various reasons.

"They're not too bad," he'd said. "All they do is fly around and explore, right?"

The fact that Spock was looking into it was surprising, prodding Laken to find out more.

"When did this interest start?"

"Approximately 9.251 months ago."

"That's precise. What do you like about it?"

"'Like' is not the proper term. I find it…fascinating." The girl grinned at his use of words. "The Science Academy has opportunities, but with Starfleet, one would be able to physically learn new things."

"That's true."

"And I could be a member of the sciences division."

"There's different divisions?"

"Yes. In addition to sciences, there is also operations and command. In my case, the sciences division would likely be suitable." He glanced at Laken again. "With your admiration of artistic culture, perhaps you would as well."

 _Wow…perhaps I would._

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	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **ChocolateWolfey-** **Thanks! I'm so glad you still like it =)**

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 _2248_

Today had been quiet, even for a day on Vulcan. It felt like the air within the house was solid. Laken had a good guess as to the reason. Spock had applied to enter Starfleet Academy several months earlier, and on this day, which also happened to be Spock's eighteenth birthday, he had been accepted. She was thrilled for her brother, as was Amanda. But Sarek still hadn't heard the news. The girl was nervous to witness it, but her fears were for naught. Amanda had suggested that she continue her own private studies in her bedroom while she herself worked on some poetry translations.

 _Whew…what a relief._

The three of them knew the elder Vulcan would be taken aback upon hearing the news, not to mention displeased. Still, Spock was an adult now. He was perfectly capable of making his own decisions. Besides, Starfleet would open up a whole new world for him. He'd be surrounded by people of all species, rather than with other Vulcans who would never see him as an equal. Laken would miss him, of course, but he surely wouldn't leave for at least another month or so. And perhaps she'd join him there, if the fleet had a place for her.

Before she could delve into her research any further, there was a sound at her door.

"Come in."

It was Spock. His expression was somewhat stony, giving Laken the impression that the discussion with his father hadn't gone well. She was about to ask about it, but he spoke first.

"Laken, I wanted to bid you farewell before leaving."

"Leaving? What d'you mean?"

"I intend to pack my things and beam onto an Earth-bound ship this evening."

"Oh, I thought your classes didn't start for a while."

"Correct, they do not. But I am no longer welcome here. Father has named me _vrekasht._ "

The girl was still a bit uninformed of the Vulcan language, but judging by her sibling's words, she knew this one wasn't good.

"What does that mean?"

"'Outcast,' or 'exile.'"

"Like…?"

"Somewhat less extreme than Sybok's case, but all the same, I can no longer call this place home."

By now, Laken's eyes had watered a bit. Sarek had actually disowned Spock? She figured he wouldn't like his son to turn away from the academy, but how could he possibly take such an awful step? Her own father never would have done such a thing.

 _How must Spock be feeling right now?_

The young Vulcan was composed, but his sister could see the turmoil within his dark eyes. Still, she wasn't going to make things worse by mentioning it.

"Spock, I…can I help you pack?"

"I assume you are physically capable of it, so the word 'can' might not be the best choice."

Smiling slightly at his tense attempt to be humorous, she followed him to his bedroom. There wasn't all that much to gather, aside from clothing. But he did choose to bring his Vulcan lute. Not a lot of time had passed when they finally finished. The siblings each carried a suitcase to the sitting room, where Amanda was waiting. Judging by the redness of her eyes, Laken figured that she knew what happened too. Without a word, the three of them went out the door and walked to the end of the walkway. They stopped next to a twisted sculpture as Spock turned to them.

"I told the ship to beam me up from here," he said. "Mother, I…I will regret not being in your presence."

"As will I." It was clear that she was desperately trying to hold back tears. "You'll call sometimes, right?"

"Whenever I am able. And Laken…" The girl looked at him. "We shall correspond as well?"

"Yeah, we will."

Things were tense for the next several moments, but before long, it was broken by the buzz of transporter beams. Spock raised his hand in the Vulcan salute as he started to vanish.

"Peace and long life, to both of you."

And with that, Spock of Vulcan was gone.

OOOOOOOOOO

An hour later, Laken was curled up near the headboard of her mattress. For the first time in at least a couple of years, Fluffy was in her arms again. He would always comfort her before her time on this planet, but with Spock around, the girl found herself preferring the company of a living person. He was gone now, and Fluffy awaited her just like he used to.

This whole thing was unreal. She knew Sarek had a fairly icy interior, but part of her thought he truly cared for his son. But how could any real father cast out their own child over something as trivial as a career choice? Laken wasn't all that fond of the elder Vulcan to begin with, but now, he'd gone too far.

At some point, Amanda entered the girl's room.

"Are you okay?" she asked her adoptive mother.

"I'll be better soon." There was a brief pause before she looked Laken right in the eye. "I'm leaving Sarek."

"Oh…"

She was too surprised to say anything else. Amanda had rarely condoned any of her husband's actions over the past several years. Then again, this was her son. Laken remembered seeing the woman look away whenever Sarek scolded Spock over his lack of control, but she'd rarely said a word. Things were different now.

"Where will you…?"

"Back to Earth. I could probably find a teaching job in San Francisco, and Spock would be close-by." Another pause. "I assumed you'd want to come with me, but…it's your choice."

 _Yes…a choice Sarek didn't offer his son._

Laken didn't have to think for more than a few seconds.

"When can we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready."

"I'll meet you by the door, it won't take long."

Much like her sibling, Laken barely had to pack anything. Aside from Fluffy, all she wanted to bring were some personal necessities and her music. The Vulcan clothing she'd had to wear remained in their drawers, ignored by the teenage girl. After putting her belongings in just one suitcase, she went to leave. But upon impulsively glancing out her window, Laken caught sight of Sarek. He was in front of Amanda's garden by the back ledge, looking out at the sky. Part of the girl wondered if she should feel bad for him, but the memory of what he did to Spock pushed itself to the front of her mind. Though the way he'd stifled her own happiness was hurtful enough, to block his already fragile son…

 _No. He made his bed; let him lie in it._

She noticed the man turning to look towards the house. Not wanting to know whether or not he'd seen her, she turned and departed.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Being back on Earth was such a surreal thing. It wasn't bad, by any means. Their San Francisco apartment was nice, and it wasn't far from the Starfleet dormitories. But actually being here, after such a long time away from the planet…

Laken was almost stunned by the colors. It surely wasn't quite like Ryos, which was renowned for its incomparable beauty, but there wasn't nearly as much color on Vulcan. And the people were all so happy. Her older age made it easier to see how everyone was. They seemed to be used to non-Humans at this point, so aside from a few kids, nobody stared. It was so strange, especially since the last time she was here…

 _No, they wouldn't want me to be upset. But our place…has it changed?_

Once they were settled into their new home, Amanda and Laken had boarded a shuttlecraft to Seattle. The building itself was a bit different, but upon reaching the door to her family's apartment, the girl realized it had been sealed off. Though getting permission to enter was easier than expected, the hard part was being inside. There was a musty smell in the air, prompting Amanda to open the windows. It helped, but the atmosphere hadn't lifted.

The teenager expected things to be dustier than they were. Surprisingly, everything was just like how she remembered it. The pictures were right where she last saw them.

"That's…"

She went forward and picked one up, wiping off a very thin layer of dust. The image of her parents distracted her to the point where she barely heard Amanda behind her.

"Oh, are those your parents?" She nodded, still staring at her younger self in between the grinning adults. "Your mother was beautiful. You got your hair from her, didn't you?"

"I think so."

"And your father's eyes."

Laken smiled, placing the picture on a chair. After gathering other pictures, like the one of her sister, she led her second mother into her old bedroom. Aside from a few more random photos, she'd barely had anything in there to begin with. But she soon remembered another thing. Once Laken opened one of her drawers, she found her old green Ryosian dress. It was the only possession she had from that other planet, courtesy of Roksana. The thick frock was laced in the back, much like the styles from Earth's medieval age; the fashion from that time period was actually very similar to Ryosian fashion.

 _This probably wouldn't fit me now, but maybe I could alter it or something._

As the two women looked in the other rooms, they found other keepsakes. Laken was also happy to discover her mother's clothing, which included both Terran and Ryosian styles. She could only imagine how thrilled Roksana would be to know her clothes would someday fit her daughter. Being surrounded by these things again, to say nothing about being in this apartment…

"Oh, honey…"

Amanda embraced the tearful young woman, giving her the comfort she needed. But she didn't exactly feel sad. In fact, an overwhelming joy was starting to consume her. She was free to be herself again, and for the first time in years, she was home.

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	6. Chapter 6

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **markervin63-** **Thanks so much for your thoughts!**

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 _Earth; San Francisco, California; 2249_

Laken was having such an amazing Saturday morning. Her friend Sheila Haymich, who lived just a few floors below her and Amanda, had invited her and a few others to a study group in her living room. They were all in Amanda's class, so they figured that looking over their work together would make the process a lot easier. It quickly proved to be effective when they first started gathering a year earlier, and it was definitely staying that way.

It wasn't just studying that went on, of course. Laken had lunch with Spock each week. He was adjusting very well, and was almost ready to board starships for training. The more she heard about it, the more the girl warmed up to the idea of joining Starfleet once she was old enough. Amanda had been quite encouraging of the prospect, as her adopted daughter was doing wonderfully in her classes. Sheila was thinking of it too. In fact, it was one of the things they had in common when they first met in the residential building's lobby.

Once the study session was over for the day, Sheila walked Laken back to her apartment.

"Don't forget, tomorrow's meeting is engineering. But we'll all go out for pizza later on."

"Got it. I'll see you then."

She let herself into the flat, only to find Amanda standing by the kitchen table with a grim expression.

"Laken, I…I'm afraid I have some news."

"What? Oh, no… Your mother, is she…?"

"Oh, no! She's fine, it's not that."

The girl breathed a bit easier. Amanda's mother hadn't been feeling well lately, and her aunt Matilda, the one who lived in Seattle, had already died a few months earlier. But whatever the news was, it appeared to have the older woman on edge.

"Amanda, what's wrong?"

"You won't be happy with me in a moment." A few seconds of silence passed before she finally went on. "We're going back to Vulcan."

Laken's expression didn't change, but on the inside, her guts felt like they were twisting.

"Why?"

"I just heard from T'Pau, and she said Sarek's father died yesterday. She's delaying the service until we get there."

"Oh." She wondered if it was temporary…prayed, even. "So we're going to the burial, and then coming back, right?"

"No, we're returning for good." She continued before the teen could respond. "And please know, I understand that you've made friends, and that you're happy here. But you're just seventeen. A year from now, you can come back."

"What about Spock? Is he still exiled?"

"Most likely."

"Then how…? How can you think of going back?"

"I…" It took a great deal of effort for her to answer. "It's his _father_ , sweetie. Sarek needs me…and I need him."

Laken couldn't say anything. Her eyes were starting to water heavily in frustration and grief, but she didn't want to let the tears fall.

"Well…we don't have to go for a while, right?"

The look of regret on the woman's face wasn't reassuring.

"The transport leaves tonight, honey."

"Why can't I stay with Spock, or with Sheila?"

"Laken, I know you're upset, but I'm your guardian. It's my responsibility to make sure you're safe, and I can't do that if we're on different planets."

No longer bothering to hold back her tears, the girl looked down.

"Can I go downstairs and say goodbye to her?"

"Oh, of course. And we'll call Spock from the ship. Come back soon, okay?" Her adopted daughter nodded, turning towards the door. "Laken, I'm really sorry."

The weeping girl couldn't speak, or else she'd have started sobbing. It was too much to handle. Everything was wonderful five minutes earlier. She had friends, Spock was nearby, and she was far away from the planet that made her feel so unwelcome. But now, she suddenly had to go back. The poor girl could only carry herself down the stairs to her friend's flat. When Sheila opened the door, she was horrified to see the other teen's wet face.

"Hang on, my mom's napping," she muttered, closing the door behind her before looking back at Laken with alarmed eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I…I have to go back to Vulcan. Tonight."

" _What?_ "

She proceeded to tell her friend what happened. Even though Sheila said her mom wouldn't mind if Laken stayed with them, she knew Amanda's resolve wouldn't be swayed. Despite both of them being upset over this news, the Human girl tried to be optimistic.

"Well, it's only a year. And we'll definitely keep in touch, won't we?"

Laken nodded as the other girl pulled her in for an embrace. She couldn't stand the idea of returning to that rigid planet, especially not when she was finally starting to fit in here for the first time in her life. But she tried to mirror her friend's encouragement.

 _One year. Just one more year._

Eventually, as soon as she mustered the strength to do so, Laken departed the Haymich residence and focused on the arduous task of packing.

0000000000000

She was barely able to keep herself together as she and Amanda spoke with Spock while on the ship. The older woman took the first turn, for which Laken was grateful; she'd be embarrassed if she broke down in front of her brother. By the time Amanda was done, the girl was in a better position to talk. In his usual logical mood, Spock expressed regret at no longer having lunch with her each week. While Laken said the same thing, words couldn't express how she really felt to be on a ship that was warping away from her joy. The only respite she had was when she cried herself to sleep the first night of the trip.

Laken's grief had dissipated a little bit by the time they made it back to the dry planet. By the looks of it, Amanda was able to dig up one of her Vulcan gowns from the suitcase. All Laken had nearby were her trousers, along with a cloth vest worn over her shirt. She figured they might not be the best things for a memorial service, Human or Vulcan, but it was all she could reach.

 _It's not like they'd notice at a funeral._

Unfortunately, when the two females made it to the gathering, the younger woman's garments appeared to be all others could notice. Though Sarek seemed both surprised and content to see his wife again, Laken couldn't decipher the look he gave her. She figured he was displeased with her clothes, but there was something else she couldn't read within him. Unsure of how to proceed, she kept her head down as the ceremony commenced.

It was a very quiet affair, and Laken was surprised at how void it was of all feeling. Everyone had the same straight-lipped expression; despite the fact that it was his father who was gone, Sarek's composure didn't crack one bit. Barely any words were spoken until the three of them had arrived back at the homestead.

"The attire you left behind in your room would be more suitable for future occasions," the Vulcan man told her.

The teenager didn't bother to answer, even in light of a persuasive glance from her adoptive mother. She was too numb to get upset with him. After all, now that she was back on Vulcan, there would be plenty of opportunities for that. But as she unpacked her things and set up her family's photos around her old room, it almost felt like she was still on Earth.

 _No. I'm stuck again._

She hadn't needed to sleep with Fluffy for a while, but she certainly needed him tonight. Feeling him nestled in her arms was a somewhat sufficient reminder of the comforting aura of her home on the Terran world. It had been such a new feeling, almost like an embrace. And it was far away now. All she could do to make herself sleep was focus on Sheila's words until her eyes got heavy.

 _One more year._ _ **One**_ _more…_

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	7. Chapter 7

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **ChocolateWolfey-** **Thanks so much for your comments!**

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About a month later, Laken felt like she was always walking on eggshells. She barely listened to her music anymore, and when she did, she'd make sure to keep the volume at an almost nonexistent level. Since the two women returned to Vulcan, it was fairly noticeable that Sarek had longed for his wife's company. Every now and then, the girl would see his eyes soften while looking at Amanda. It might've made the return somewhat bearable, had it not been for his increased harshness with the teenager.

Not even a week after the service, she'd made the apparently horrible mistake of playing classical rock music while cleaning her room. It was a dull space to deal with, so the songs helped the time go by. Unfortunately, the Vulcan man interpreted the gesture as being "an inappropriate emotional outburst amidst a period of remembrance." Though Laken wanted so badly to point out that the overall mood in the house hadn't been any different than it was before Skon's death, she thought better of it.

 _He's just looking for reasons to bug me now._

"Don't look so far into it," Amanda told her as they tended to the garden. "He wouldn't say it, but he's probably thinking about Spock being gone."

"Why would he be upset? He's the one who disowned Spock."

The older woman looked like she was on the fence, but nonetheless, she didn't voice it. This put a knot in Laken's gut, as always. No matter what, her adoptive mother constantly made excuses for her husband. Despite not ever saying this to her, the girl's annoyance was beginning to grow. But for now, she concentrated on patting the soil around one of the plants. Things were tense for several minutes before Amanda broke through it.

"You know, maybe you'd be happier if you put your hobbies into something."

"Hmm?"

"Your music, or dancing. There might be a lot of ways to express that on Vulcan."

"That's funny."

"I'm serious! If you want, I can ask Sarek if he knows of anyone nearby in need of musical assistance."

"He wouldn't care about that."

"Hey, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. It would get the songs out of his house."

Laken impulsively chuckled at this. Perhaps the Vulcan would find a place for her, as far away from him as possible.

 _That would suit me fine. And probably him as well._

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The teenager was taken aback by the sight in front of her, and not in a good way. While the Vulcan children looked pretty cute, the stiff imitation of dancing was a whole different manner. Apparently, the planet's toddlers were allowed to dance in the years before the intense training began. But what Laken saw barely came close to dancing, to say nothing about the drawling music. The young faces looked like they were carved in stone, and their movements were just as rigid. However, the instructor standing nearby didn't seem surprised by this.

"Young one," she said, "Ambassador Sarek has said that thee seeks a way to…creatively function."

"Well, I…yes."

"These children are undergoing their usual training in logical thought, but are permitted to dance during breaks. Thy task is to oversee them at these times. The walls of the academy are rather thick, so if thou requires guidance or assistance in this, I shall be within the conference room at the far side of the building."

With that, the elder Vulcan woman turned to leave the room. Once the door had shut, Laken glanced at the little five-year olds. By this point, all of them had stopped moving and were staring at her. All was quiet for several seconds as the older girl gathered the courage to speak.

"Hi." No response. "My name's Laken, it's nice to meet you all."

After a moment, the toddlers spoke as a group.

"We come to serve."

"Oh…well, you don't need to serve me with anything. I'm just here to teach you about dancing. What do you have so far?"

As a collective unit, each child resumed the stick-straight actions. Laken could only watch for a few seconds before stopping them.

"Okay, okay, good." She thought quickly, trying to use words that the kids would respond do. "All of you work well as a group, so that's encouraging. But maybe you should try…loosening your bodies a bit."

"Bodies are what they are," one young boy said. "To assume they can be loosened like a mechanical screw is illogical."

"That's not quite what I meant. I'm saying that your dance movements are…too close together. Try something along the lines of…"

She allowed her arms to flow through the air a bit, stopping only when the children's expressions became flabbergasted.

 _Okay, this isn't working. I'll have to reach them in another way…_

"All right, well…you know, what you've been taught to do isn't the only option. There are other ways to dance in coordinated fashions. What songs have you gone along by?"

"The tape," a girl replied, pointing to the wall speaker.

"You mean, just that same tune over and over?"

"Affirmative."

"Wow…hang on, let me check something."

Laken walked over to the screen in the corner of the room. While the computer had Vulcan features, she wondered if its content was limited to the planet. However, when she flipped through a few things in her attempt to find another search engine, she struck gold. Upon narrowing the search to Earth, the girl found the perfect tune. Despite the children's confused faces, the optimism was growing strong within her.

"Listen," she muttered, slowly walking back to the group. "You've already mastered moving as a group, so following the beat should be simple for you."

"I do not understand," a different boy muttered, leading the older girl to momentarily turn off the song. "This seems illogical."

Laken considered his words for a while. How could she convince them to try this? If six years of living on this planet was any indication, these kids probably had no idea how it felt to have fun. They spent almost all their time learning to be logical, so a little bit of dancing surely wouldn't do any harm.

"Well, dancing is a good way to improve the skill of working as a group. Isn't that a logical skill?" The children didn't object, so she went on. "And following directions will help your limbs stretch more. Keeping your bodies healthy and stopping your muscles from seizing up is a logical endeavor, isn't it?"

The same boy raised one eyebrow, unable to contain an eagerness that was appropriate for his age.

"Yes. That sounds very logical."

Laken smiled. Then, she thought of something else.

 _Uh-oh…what if they tell their parents?_

She didn't think the kids would get in trouble; if anything, the parents would blame the big bad emotional girl for poisoning their young minds. But what about Sarek? She'd definitely get another scolding, of course. Still, it didn't take her long to decide that she didn't care what he did, or what he thought. This was one of her only sources of productivity on Vulcan, and she intended to savor it. All the same, she added one more thing.

"Also, since you'll be working to keep your bodies in good shape, you'll need complete concentration. It wouldn't be logical to spend time speaking about this to others when you could be perfecting your focus."

Upon hearing this, another girl nodded.

"Logical."

"All right, then. Let's get started."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

In about a week or so, the children had mastered every choreographed move of "Thriller," a centuries-old video of the song created by the late and great Michael Jackson. Laken couldn't believe how talented these kids were.

 _Of course they are, who am I kidding? Anyone can thrive when they're enjoying themselves._

While some of the toddlers had originally been unnerved by the included voiceover of Vincent Price (another departed legend of Laken's residential planet), they didn't react at all anymore. They knew every turn, arm movement, and step. Once Price's cackling faded away, Laken couldn't keep from clapping. This was completely incredible. She almost forgot about her own sadness at the sight of these kids. A few of them were even smiling a bit. Perhaps Laken was unhappy, but the thought of making the children happy was so rewarding.

Her pride in the young ones was so extreme, to the point where she didn't notice the former instructor peering into the room, nor the surveillance camera in the ceiling corner.

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	8. Chapter 8

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

 **ChocolateWolfey-** **LOL, indeed! =)**

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That night, Laken took the time to send a message to Sheila. Aside from herself, her Terran friend was the only person who knew about her activities with the Vulcan toddlers. She approved, of course, even in light of the risks. Then again, both girls found that to be pretty exciting. It surely wouldn't do any harm to the young ones, and if Laken was being honest, rebelling against her adoptive father gave her a great deal of satisfaction.

 _I still can't believe no one's found out yet!_

No sooner had she sent the message did she hear someone at her door.

"Come in."

It was Amanda. A few seconds of tension was all Laken needed to know the cat was out of the bag. She didn't know how to react for a second, but when the older woman smirked, the two of them quickly started giggling. Eventually, Amanda got a hold of herself and tried to make her expression more serious.

"Oh, honey…what were you _thinking?_ "

Her eyes were still smiling, causing Laken to vainly stifle another laugh. After a few more moments, the woman moved to sit next to her on the bed.

"You're quite the teacher, Laken. It makes me proud. I'm shocked you were able to convince them."

This statement caused the teenager's insides to warm up.

"It was only logical."

Amanda smiled again before forcing a stern look upon her face.

"Well, you and I might be okay with it, but…sweetheart, Sarek's really unhappy."

"He is?" Laken asked with a look of sarcastic shock. "Is that even possible?"

"I'm serious. Last time he was like this…"

Her words trailed off as they both heard footsteps stop outside the door.

"Please report to the sitting room," a familiar masculine voice said.

Bracing herself for yet another scolding over her awful emotions, the girl rolled her eyes.

" _Report?_ What am I, a sergeant?"

"Laken, try not to antagonize him."

As much as she was tempted to do just that, Laken was somewhat anxious about the Vulcan's tone. It was more rigid than it normally was in these instances. Nevertheless, she placed her PADD onto the bed and followed Amanda out of her room. By the time they reached the middle of the house, Sarek had turned on the main screen. Upon seeing the paused academy footage of her doings with the children, the girl spoke up.

"You don't have to show me. I know what I did."

"It has been proven that when one views their mistakes, one can learn to not repeat them."

At that moment, something shifted within Laken. For almost half of her life, she had altered so many aspects of herself to suit her adoptive father's standards. The fact that she was an orphan who needed comfort never seemed to matter in the Vulcan's mind. Since the deaths of Jack and Roksana, the poor girl had tried to feel as many emotions as she possibly could, just enough to fill the empty spaces in her essence. Nearly every time she had the audacity to be happy, or to enjoy anything, Sarek was there to treat her like she'd stolen money (if it were still used). And no matter how hurt she was, she'd kept her cool each time.

 _Not anymore. I'm sick of it._

"That might be true in some cases," she retorted, "but not in this one. No mistake has been made."

Though she could see Amanda dissuading her with her eyes, it was too late. Sarek's gaze had already narrowed in annoyance.

"You obviously have not learned the concept of taking responsibility for one's actions."

"I understand it perfectly. But I haven't done anything wrong."

"That is _highly_ debatable," the Vulcan responded, sounding more cross by the second. "What transpired at the academy could be detrimental to the logical development of those children."

"You need to lighten up, okay? Has it ever dawned on you to maybe _not_ act like a laugh or a smile is such an awful thing?"

"Your words are only serving as proof of your immaturity."

"Easy," Amanda muttered, putting up a hand in an attempt to cool things down. "There's no need for this."

But the situation had already festered. Laken was angry now, and though Sarek remained composed, his dark eyes told a different story. Still, the girl pressed on.

"You know, once in a blue moon, you should try looking at your own flaws rather than zeroing in on everyone else's."

"Once again, it is apparent that despite living on Vulcan for such a prolonged period of time, you have not absorbed any measurable amount of control."

" _Really?_ Well, it's equally clear that even after being an ambassador to the Human world, marrying a Human, and raising two half-Human kids, you haven't learn a thing about Humans, _or_ tolerance."

"Laken, _please_."

Amanda's endeavor to stop her adopted daughter from going too far was for naught, and she attacked again.

"You've always looked down on both me and Spock, like nothing was ever good enough. I don't know why you're so surprised that he joined Starfleet, when _you're_ the one who drove him away!"

Pushed over his already shaky edge by this comment, Sarek finally allowed a bit of ire to seep into his voice.

"On the contrary, the fact that I have permitted such an uprooting and shameful child to inhabit my residence proves just how tolerant I am."

"Sarek!"

The older woman's tone was sharper than ever, but Laken didn't hear it. Though she didn't ever think the Vulcan would say something like this to her, she certainly didn't believe she'd be affected by it. But she was. If a household adopted a child on Earth, they took the place of the parents in terms of providing a home, along with giving love and support. While nobody could ever be her blood-family, Amanda had done everything in her power to make Laken feel comfortable. The girl loved her for this, but even in light of their strong bond, she had always felt shunned by her so-called second father. There wasn't any warmth between them, and now, he'd made it very clear that he never wanted there to be.

Not seeing the flicker of remorse in the man's expression, Laken turned and walked back towards her room.

"Wait, please don't go," pleaded Amanda as the teenager's door shut behind her.

While the girl spent the first few seconds calmly pacing back and forth, her eyes soon filled with tears. Things had always been tense upon the dry planet, but she genuinely felt unwelcome now. Spock wasn't here anymore, and though the Human woman was almost perfect, she would never speak against her husband. She didn't end up doing so for her own natural child, so Laken suspected she wouldn't take her side either. And Sarek…she didn't want to think about him, or about even being under the same roof as him.

Just then, an urge ran up her spine. Her legs seemed to move on their own as she walked around the room, putting some of her most prized belongings into her knapsack. Once Fluffy was safely zipped in, Laken opened her window and climbed outside onto the back patio. Her second mother's garden caught her watery eyes for a bit, but her resolve spurred her forward towards the dry mountains.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

 **000000000000000**

Wanting to throw the Vulcan officials off her trail before finding an Earth-bound ship, Laken wandered towards the desert's cliffs. The wind was increasing, as was the unyielding sting of the sand. She looked back, not quite recognizing where she was. Then again, this suited her fine. While it would probably take her a while to find the port in these conditions, as long as she wasn't caught, it would be worth the wait.

When the wait turned into a couple of days, she became somewhat alarmed. She'd surely seen a certain boulder before, and the sandstorm was growing stronger.

 _Great, I've been going in circles!_

Eventually, when the suns were just starting to come up again, she stopped next to a crevice and knelt down. The area could shield her until the storm dissipated, and she needed to rest too. Afterwards, she would resume her search. However, her water was gone, and though they could endure a wide range of temperatures, Ryosians couldn't last more than five days without liquid sustenance. If she was to find the ship, it had to be soon. And if she didn't…

 _Either way, I'll never have to deal with this miserable place again._

Upon pulling Fluffy out of her knapsack, she wrapped her cloak around both of them and curled into the crevice to keep her face out of the sand.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Oh, God…they still haven't found her?"

"The authorities have remained diligent in their search, my wife," Sarek said with an infuriatingly calm voice. "It is hours from sunrise, and you are not helping yourself by staying awake. They will locate her."

"They'll locate her _body_ , you mean." There was no answer. "She never would've run off if you hadn't said those things."

"Amanda, I did not advise her to climb out her window and venture into the desert. That was her decision."

Despite his words, the woman saw the doubt in his eyes. Still, she no longer wanted to hear any excuses. After retreating into their bedroom to vent her sorrow, she heard the chirp of their private screen. At first, Amanda thought of ignoring it. But upon seeing who it was, she propelled herself over to the panel and opened the communication.

"Oh, Spock, thank God you called."

"Are you distressed, Mother?"

"Laken got into it with Sarek two nights ago, and she ran off. Nobody can find her anywhere."

The young Vulcan held his stature, but his mother clearly saw his worry.

"I will beam down and locate her."

"What…? Spock, aren't you on Earth?"

"I am training aboard a vessel not far from Vulcan's orbit. The ship can be within beaming distance within the hour."

"Oh, you can't find her now. It's after dark, and it's freezing."

"Irrelevant. I will inform my superior officer of the situation and come down as soon as time permits."

He turned off the screen before his mother could say anything else. Her eyes were still wet, but the conviction in Spock's voice eased her fright a bit. She put on her cloak and walked out in front of the house. Sure enough, not even an hour had passed when the sound of beams reached her ears.

"Mother." Spock greeted her by taking one of her hands into his. "Do you know which direction she went in?"

"Out her window, and onwards from the back garden." Amanda was startled to hear her husband's voice from the front entrance, but their son didn't seem to hear him. "Towards the mountains, perhaps."

Spock looked into the woman's eyes a few moments later, not acknowledging Sarek at all.

"I will bring her home. I promise."

With that, he focused on the thin bond connecting his mind to that of his sister. He immediately set off, following the link like a trail.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The girl had no idea whether or not she'd fallen asleep yet. It sounded like the storm was over, but she wanted to rest some more. Her body had lost a great deal of strength during her trek. So for now, she hugged the toy dog closer and shut her eyes.

Then, she felt something. Someone was nearby. She wondered if it was Spock, but brushed the idea away; he was still on Earth. However, upon rolling onto her back to look behind her, there was no denying the familiar figure approaching her.

"S-Spock?"

The Vulcan didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a metal cylinder from his satchel and knelt beside his sibling.

"You are severely dehydrated. Drink this."

Laken obeyed, too distracted by the water to think about what was happening. But once she'd had her fill, all she could do was stare at Spock. It felt like a lifetime of not seeing him, even though it was only a little over a month. She'd come close to wishing for death while she was out here, and now, she felt such guilt for it. What would that have done to Spock? Upon this barren world, they were a team.

"What were you trying to accomplish out here, Laken?"

"I…" She felt ashamed again. "I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

"Anger is a Human emotion."

Laken smiled, and after putting the container back in his satchel, Spock moved to sit next to her. Several seconds of quiet contemplation passed between them before the girl spoke.

"What are you even doing here?"

"My vessel was in close proximity to Vulcan, and Mother informed me of your departure. I came to bring you back."

"Back to where?"

"To the house, of course."

Laken shook her head, feeling sick at the thought of returning.

"I can't."

"If you are not physically capable of walking, I can lift you."

" _No_ , I…I don't want to go back, Spock. I can't think of it."

"Why not?"

After taking a deep breath, she told her brother about teaching the Vulcan kids to dance, and about her fight with Sarek.

"What he said to you was highly illogical."

"I guess. It also hurt."

Spock nodded, remembering all the times he felt rejected by his father. The torments of his peers were unpleasant enough; Sarek's disapproval made it so much worse. He certainly empathized with what Laken said next.

"Please let me come back to your ship with you. I'll just stay on Earth with Sheila whenever you're training."

"Laken, you are underage. No matter how satisfying your presence would be, it would be equally unlawful until you reach eighteen years." The girl looked away, prodding her sibling to continue. "Of course, once you are eighteen, I believe Starfleet would see great potential in you. From what I have observed, the courses specialized in cultural research of foreign planets strike me as being of interest to you."

"Spock, I ran away from home like an infant. How could I function in Starfleet?"

"Firstly, you are not an infant, nor are infants capable of fleeing. Secondly, your actions were…fairly understandable." The teenager gazed at him again. "But most importantly, you have always held an interest in learning all there is to know about different cultures. Starfleet holds that ability in very high regard. Also, much like I have, you could likely find a place in which you truly fit in."

It was music to Laken's ears. Starfleet had a very wide range of people within its ranks. Not a lot of people would care about anyone's species, to say nothing about whether or not they laughed too much. But as wonderful as it all sounded, it was still a year away. She didn't know if she was strong enough to wait that long.

"What can I do in the meantime? I don't want to stay where I'm not wanted."

"Mother wants you here, so perhaps you should focus on her. If that is not sufficient…" He contemplated something for a while and went on. "We could still be connected."

"I know we can send messages, but—"

"I meant something different. When I melded with you for the first time, a link was created between us. If it would help you function, we can strengthen the bond enough to allow us to communicate at any time, even across great distances."

The girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to go back to ShiKahr, but if she were able to telepathically speak with her sibling, perhaps that would make things easier.

"You'd do that?"

"I think we would both thrive from it."

She nodded after a moment. Ryosians didn't need more than the touching of hands to create bonds, so she took one of Spock's while he raised his unoccupied fingers to her face. They instantly felt each other's thoughts intertwining. It endured, even after the Vulcan lowered his hand and moved the other one onto his knee. The two of them used their minds to tie the connection the rest of the way. Laken could still feel Spock, and hear him as well.

 _You have a large amount of strength, sister. I have every confidence that you will be accepted into Starfleet, but until that time, you must continue your studies. Mother will help you._

 _Yeah, I know. But I…I'll really miss you._

 _As will I._

Spock rose to his feet after a while, reaching a hand down to Laken.

 _Come,_ he persuaded her. _Mother is deeply concerned._

She took a shallow breath and took his hand, placing Fluffy back into her pack. Then, without another spoken word, the siblings began the journey back to civilization.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Amanda couldn't believe her eyes when she looked out the front window and saw her two children approaching the house.

"He found her!"

Without waiting for Sarek to rise from his seat, she ran out the door and pulled the girl into her arms.

"Laken, you scared me to death! Don't _ever_ do that again."

Instinctively returning the embrace, Laken closed her eyes. It was a great comfort to be reunited with Amanda, despite her personal misgivings. Somehow, she knew the woman's warmth and compassion would help her endure until she became of age. They ultimately turned to face Spock, who was tucking a communicator into his pocket.

"Spock, thank you so much."

"No need to thank that which is logical, Mother. The ship requires my presence, so I must depart."

"I understand. Be safe, okay?"

"I shall. And Laken…" He saluted both of them. "Live long and prosper."

She heard him speak as the beam began taking him away.

 _May you be well, Laken. Stay close to Mother, and whenever you feel the need, I am always here._

 _I'm here for you too, always. Thank you for saving my life again._

 _There is nothing to thank._

Once he was gone, Amanda put her arm back around the teenager and led her to the house.

"Let's get you inside. You must be starving!"

They walked past Sarek, who stared at the spot where his son just was. He did so for a long while.

OOOOOOOOOOO

After having something to eat, Laken confined herself to her room. She knew Amanda was disappointed in her for taking off, and she was disappointed in herself for putting the woman through it; she fully intended to take responsibility for her mistake. In the meantime, her only comfort was in looking at Starfleet information on her PADD while discussing it with Spock.

 _You're right. The level of concentration on cultural studies is incredible._

 _Indeed. Do you see how you would flourish in that field?_

 _Yeah. Amanda thinks so, too. I can't resume my work for a week until my punishment is over, but she said she'll go over it with me then._

 _Logical. She is a highly effective teacher._

 _Definitely…oh, I think she's at my door._

She stared at the room's entrance as she heard the chime.

"Come in, Amanda."

The door opened, and her insides twisted upon seeing that it was not the Human woman.

"Your punishment is still in effect. Give that to me."

Laken didn't want to obey, but she was too tired to get into another fight with him. She placed the PADD into Sarek's open hand and waited for him to depart. But he didn't do so. The girl knew she couldn't make him leave, so she attempted to tune out.

"Laken."

The elder Vulcan rarely ever addressed her by name, so her heart involuntarily sped up. After taking an additional step towards her, he continued.

"My words to you were excessive. And inaccurate."

"Vulcans don't lie."

Though Laken didn't know why she was talking back, she couldn't stop herself. Surprisingly, the man didn't get defensive.

"It was a strong exaggeration, on the precipice of being an untruth. Having you here is…agreeable."

Things were too awkward for the girl to not say something in response. She cleared her throat and spoke in an empty voice.

"I'm sorry for saying Spock left because of you. He was just looking for a place where he felt wanted."

"Spock is wanted here, on Vulcan." The man paused for a moment. "As are you."

Despite the forced gentleness of his voice, Laken couldn't absorb the words.

 _Amanda probably told him to say this. Maybe he pities me, but…no. He doesn't care._

After gathering herself, she looked her adoptive father right in the eye.

"I just won't do any of my stuff anymore. I'll keep to myself until I turn eighteen, and leave for Earth the morning of my birthday."

Sarek looked like he wanted to object, but the girl looked away again.

"Good night, Ambassador."

For a while, she thought he would stay and start another argument. But once several tense seconds had gone by, Sarek left the room. Laken released the breath she'd been holding, leaning her head back against the chair. She fell asleep right where she was, drifting off to images of Starfleet and the sound of her brother's voice.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **djhay4-** **I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thank you for the comments =)**

 **BadWolf53-** **Thanks so much for the support!**

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 _Earth; San Francisco, California; 2250_

Though she'd only been back on Earth for a few weeks, Laken felt like she'd never left. With how slowly her year on Vulcan had passed, it was as though her mind were in sync with her home planet. Everything had fallen back into place for her within just a few days of her arrival.

Up until the girl's eighteenth birthday, she'd endured her environment by spending most of her time either in her room or outside by the garden. Amanda would often be there to work alongside with her, whether it was with the numerous plants or with Laken's teachings. They got along well, but there was an underlying tension between them now. No matter how well she knew the woman loved her like a daughter, she also knew Amanda would never stop standing by her husband.

Sarek hadn't tried to reach out to Laken again since she returned to ShiKahr. While she noticed he hadn't reprimanded her at all from that point onwards, it didn't even register with her anymore. The damage had already been done years earlier, but his remarks had pushed her over the brink. Despite Amanda's numerous attempts to convince her that the Vulcan hadn't meant what he said, Laken was aware of the underlying truth behind it.

But none of that mattered anymore. Starfleet had accepted her the day before her birthday, and she was packed and ready to go on the day itself. Part of her wondered if Sarek wished to speak with her upon returning from the embassy in the afternoon (Amanda had implied it), but she didn't want to set herself up for disappointment again. So even in the face of her adoptive mother's protests, Laken bid her a warm farewell and boarded the ship hours before the Vulcan man could return to the household. Though the girl felt guilty for a while, it was hard to keep it up when she finally got to San Francisco.

She'd spoken with Spock during the journey, and though he was currently aboard another vessel, they would always be able to stay in contact. Laken was thrilled to find out that Sheila had also been accepted into Starfleet; they agreed to meet up once they'd both met their roommates and settled into their dorms. The teenager looked forward to seeing her friend, while also interested in who would be sharing her living space. She was ecstatically shocked when she made it to her room and immediately recognized her assigned roommate.

"No _way!_ "

Laken and Sheila ran across the room and hurled themselves into each other's arms, making the best day of their lives even better.

And now, it had all become an easy cycle. Laken loved her classes, especially the ones that focused on multicultural sciences. Those were her favorites, but all of it was great. She spoke with Spock each week, and they had a plan to go to lunch when he got back the next day. In the meantime, the girl kept up with her work by means of another study group, courtesy of her friend and roommate.

However, right when the two of them returned from the academy archives, Laken saw a screen message coming in for her. She knew who it was, having gotten a call at the same time every other evening. But somehow, it put a pit in her stomach. Nevertheless, she sat down and turned on her private screen.

"Hi, honey," Amanda said, smiling as warmly as usual.

"Hi, how are you?"

"Can't complain. Hey, how did you do on that evaluation?"

"I won't hear about it until next week, but I have a good feeling."

"Wonderful." The Human woman was still grinning, but Laken could see the tension as much as she felt it. "How's Sheila?"

"Oh, she's great."

After a few more seconds of awkward smiles, Amanda spoke again.

"Laken…I've noticed lately that your father is…afflicted at not being able to speak with you."

The teenager closed her eyes briefly, not having the strength to delve into this issue once more. Upon reopening them, she spoke in a polite but firm voice.

"Amanda, I hope you know how much I adore you. You've been an incredible mother, and if you hadn't found me, I wouldn't be alive. But my father died in a shuttle crash eight years ago." Though the Human woman seemed sad to hear this, Laken pressed on. "And I certainly don't doubt your love for me, or for Spock. That being said, I feel like…I don't want to use the expression 'taking sides,' but when it comes to Sarek, I don't think you're completely on the side of your children."

There was a pause before Amanda responded hesitantly.

"I'm always on your side, and on Spock's side. It's just…complicated."

"Right."

"I'm sorry. But I'll honor your wish regarding the words used to refer to your…my husband."

"Thank you."

The warmth soon returned to the woman's eyes.

"I _do_ love you, sweetie. And I'm thrilled that you're doing so well." She glanced down briefly. "We can still talk at times, right?"

"Absolutely. It might not be as often when I get out of school, but as much as possible."

"I'd like that. I hope you have a nice night, Laken."

Returning her adoptive mother's smile, the teenager moved her finger to the "end call" button.

"Same to you. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Once the call was over, Laken leaned back into her chair with a heavy sigh. Sheila seemed to have heard it from across the room, as she swiftly approached her and sat down upon her friend's bed.

"Why is she even with him if he disowned her son?"

"I don't know," Laken replied with a shrug. "I just don't know."

 _She loves him. I get that, but…after what he's done, how can she?_

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Though the girl was thrilled to see her sibling again in the cafeteria the next day, she hadn't been able to shake off her mood from the previous night. Nevertheless, she tried her best to ignore it by asking Spock about his training during the lunch.

"So it's going well?"

"It appears to be."

"Neat. Do you know what—?"

"Laken." She stopped mid-sentence. "You are troubled about something."

Remembering their bond, Laken felt her conflicting emotions rush back into her.

"I spoke with Amanda last night."

"Is she unwell?"

"No, she's fine. She just…she mentioned that Sarek might've wanted to speak to me as well."

"I see."

"She called him my father, and…I corrected her about that."

Spock straightened up a bit before speaking.

"It is interesting that you are not allowing him to assume the role of a father figure when he is making an effort to do so."

The girl was surprised at this response, but then again, she'd known how logical her brother was for quite some time.

"Well, in emotional terms, a father is supposed to mentally and physically nurture a child. Sarek hasn't done that for me…or for you, in my opinion."

"I am still puzzled at your rejection of his current attempts."

"Has he made any attempts to reach out to _you?_ "

The young Vulcan seemed reluctant to answer, but he didn't have to say anything for his sister to know the truth. After almost a minute of silence, Spock made himself reply.

"Your point of view is understandable."

Things were quiet up until the two of them finished eating. Once they were done, Laken noticed an unusually enthusiastic expression upon Spock's face. Before she got a chance to ask about it, he spoke.

"Laken, I nearly forgot. I have been communicating with a fellow third-year cadet, and I wished for the two of you to meet. He is approaching."

The girl looked to the side in time to see a cadet walking over. He was pretty good-looking, but for some reason, he struck her as being a bit cocky.

"Hello, Jim. This is Laken, my adoptive sister. Laken, this is James Kirk."

The two strangers shook hands.

"Well, hello," Jim said with a charming smile, prompting Spock to raise an eyebrow. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, but don't even think about it."

The Human released her hand with a chuckle.

"Noted. You know, that kind of toughness would do everyone a lot of good during a five-year mission."

"What d'you mean?"

"Starfleet is considering sending ships out on exploration missions for five-year durations," Spock told her. "I have voiced my interest in such a mission, as has Jim. Would it be something of interest to you?"

Laken was already daydreaming about it. The possibilities of discovering new cultures upon different planets were endless, and when travelling aboard a starship, there would be no limit to the distances they could go.

"Yes. It's of very great interest to me."

"Great," Jim said with a smile. "That's good to hear."

"Again, it will never happen."

"Gotcha."

The Human man turned away with a nod of his head. Laken impulsively chuckled, forgetting all about her personal troubles.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf53-** **Thanks for reviewing!**

 **ChocolateWolfey-** **Aww, sorry about your work hardships =[ But I'm glad you still like the story. A few future conversations miiiiight be in the works, but as you said, first comes some fun in space!**

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 _USS Enterprise; 2266_

"Migraines again, Laken?"

"Yeah."

Dr. Leonard McCoy, or "Bones," looked around for some capsules reserved for such afflictions.

"I've got a lot to learn about Ryosian physiology, but are migraines common on that planet?"

"No, I don't think so. But my father used to have them."

"Ah, right. They only started with you last week, didn't they?"

"They started after I stopped aging, when I turned twenty. They've just been on-and-off since then."

"Well, one of these should ease it for now. If it keeps coming back, just take another for each occurrence."

"Thanks, Bones."

"Take it easy."

Laken slipped the small container into the pocket of her trousers as she left sickbay. Though her inherited headaches were often an inconvenience, they didn't even make a dent in her love of this mission. There were plenty of officers focused on research, but she was the chief lieutenant of the cultural research unit. While Sheila was in the engineering department, the two women still saw each other in the recreation room. Jim Kirk was the ship's captain, and Spock served as both the first officer and the chief science officer. Laken felt silly at times, as she had the appearance of a very young woman mixed in with all these adults. Still, the voice in her head reminded her that she was thirty-four, and that all of her crewmates saw her as their peer.

While the crew's missions usually went well, there would be trouble sometimes. A few hours after returning to her quarters, Laken heard about Joe Tormolen's violent outburst and subsequent death. Though he was on the bridge, she could hear Spock telling her of his concerns.

 _Mr. Riley appears to have misplaced his composure as well._

 _Him_ _ **and**_ _Sulu?_

 _Affirmative._

 _What the heck is this thing?_

 _Whatever it is, it seems to be making its way across the ship. Doctor McCoy said he would report to the medical lab to look into a possible cause and cure._

 _I hope so._

 _In the meantime, you should protect yourself. Perhaps it would be wise for you to remain in your quarters._

 _Spock, I'm not going to hide in my room every time there's trouble. We're both officers on this ship, remember?_

 _You are a cultural officer. Looking into this virus when it is not your skillset is both illogical and reckless. Please stay put._

Laken rolled her eyes, but reluctantly sat down on the bed. Deep down, she knew putting herself in danger when she couldn't assist anyways was just as foolish as Spock said it was. She didn't like feeling useless, like she was unable to help. However, she regained her stance as an officer, remembering that she had a duty to keep herself strong and to not needlessly place herself in harm's way. So she stayed put.

But after maybe an hour or so, something lurched inside of her. She couldn't really concentrate on his mindset, but her gut told her something was wrong with Spock. Without thinking for another moment, Laken rose to her feet and left the room, following the mental path to her brother. Though she knew she was disobeying his wishes, he was in deep distress. All that mattered to her was his safety, orders or no orders.

She eventually went into a conference room and found Spock sitting at the table. He seemed almost calm, but that changed when he turned to face her.

"Laken." His voice sounded very weak, prompting Laken to slowly approach him. "I could never… _truly_ speak what I felt. Remember?"

 _What is it with…? Oh, no. He's got it, whatever this is._

She stopped walking, torn between her concern for herself and her love for her brother.

"Take it easy, Spock."

"These feelings…why are they so strong?" The Vulcan man rose to his feet and moved towards the woman. "They feel normal, and yet, they are foreign. Forbidden."

"Spock," Laken muttered, backing away from him. "Please stop."

"The day you came to Vulcan, I wasn't alone anymore. Sybok was gone, but you…you were my true sister, my _equal_." His expression quickly became pained. "Why do you back away?"

Once her back hit the wall, Laken froze. She hated the look on her sibling's face, but her instincts spurred her to bolt for the door. Unfortunately, Spock was faster. He grabbed one arm, and though the woman fought hard, Vulcans tended to be a bit stronger than Ryosians when it came to physical confrontations.

"Wait, no!"

She yanked back, leading Spock to grab her hand with his free one. Though Laken was eventually able to shove his arms back, the entity was already attacking. She tried to fight it off with her mind, but out of nowhere, a large cloud of immense grief loomed over her. Images flashed across her thoughts, and by the time she glanced at Spock, tears were flooding her eyes.

"She…she left. She _left._ "

She backed up against the wall once more, sliding to the ground while Spock wandered back to his chair and hid his face with his hands.

"She never left a note, or anything. Just…gone, with no trace. But _why?_ "

No longer addressing anyone, Laken stared up at the ceiling.

"It was me. Mom and Dad loved her, but…she must've felt ignored. Of course it was me. She didn't feel wanted, because I got all the attention, didn't I? I did…"

Though Laken didn't remember getting up, she found herself leaning against a pole in a random corridor. But she barely noticed, as her misery still overcame all reason. She didn't know how much time was passing, if there was any time to begin with. Everything was cloudy, even when her brain registered someone stepping next to her. A pain shot down her arm, but she didn't even flinch. Her vision was just too…

Suddenly, she woke. The cloud was gone, as were those horrid thoughts. Laken glanced at her shoulder. There didn't seem to be any damage, but she noticed a sickbay nurse holding a syringe.

"Feeling better, Lieutenant?"

"I…yes, I think so."

And she was. Vaguely recalling her sibling's earlier request, she made her way back to her quarters.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

A few hours later, the ship was out of danger. Rumor had it that everyone had jumped a few days backwards in time, but Laken didn't feel any different. The important thing was for everyone to rest so the mission could continue. Before she could climb onto her mattress, she felt a familiar presence in her mind.

 _Are you uninjured?_

 _Yes. How about you?_

 _Affirmative._

Silence filled her thoughts for a brief moment, but Spock soon broke through it again.

 _I beg forgiveness for infecting you._

 _There's nothing to forgive, you weren't yourself._

 _I should have been in control._

 _It was a_ _ **virus**_ _. You can't always control everything when it comes to disease._

 _Perhaps not. But I still regret what occurred._

 _So do I. But it can't be logical to dwell on it, right? All we can do is move on._

 _Indeed…a very logical piece of advice._

Laken smiled to herself.

 _Rest well, Spock._

 _Likewise, sister._

She settled onto her back, brushing off the day's events in her quest to fall asleep.

 **0000000000000**

 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf53-** **I'm so glad you're still liking the story! Thanks for your comments =]**

 **Beachgirl25-** **Thanks so much for the support!**

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 _USS Enterprise; 2267_

She could hardly believe how quickly the time had passed. The ship endured through all, of course, but unfortunately, there were times when the crew suffered great losses. Near the end of the previous year, an engaged couple had been parted by the untimely death of the groom-to-be. Still, his sacrifice helped the _Enterprise_ survive its first encounter with the Romulan species. Having been on the bridge with Spock when the screen showed the enemy vessel's inhabitants, Laken was surprised to see the resemblance between Romulans and Vulcans. In addition to that, the doomed commander seemed oddly familiar to the woman. But no matter what, she couldn't figure out who he reminded her of.

Now, after such a long and eventful period of time, almost everyone was ready for some well-deserved shore leave. An unknown green planet with no sign of life forms appealed to most of the crew, but needless to say, they had to make sure it was safe. To Laken's delight, she was one of the researchers chosen to survey the world's surface. And upon beaming down with the rest of the team, it seemed harmless enough.

 _Spock, I can't believe you're not going to take advantage of this place. It's perfect for taking a break!_

 _That is quite an illogical way of describing shore leave. There is no point in breaking anything when one's intention is to recuperate._

 _It's an expression._

 _All the same, my place is on the ship._

 _Fine. But you'll be missing all the fun._

 _Fun is—_

 _A Human sensation, I know._

While Dr. McCoy and Sulu went in one direction, Laken went the opposite way to begin her evaluations. She saw Rodriguez and Martine going off into some trees, so she decided to go off towards one of the clearings. Her tricorder indicated that the planet had a few bodies of water aside from what they beamed down by, and she was fairly close to another one of them. It took a lot of walking, but Laken eventually caught sight of a gorgeous pond.

Though the woman made sure to keep one hand upon her holstered phaser just in case, she also let herself take in the sight. The water was beautiful. It probably wasn't quite like the rivers or seas of Ryos, but it was very similar to Earth. In fact, Laken found herself thinking about the lake near her Seattle home. She would always run back and forth along the weeds, while Roksana sat in the grass a few yards away with a smile on her face. This planet didn't seem too different from that.

 _No. It's just missing people, animals, or any…_

Laken glanced to the side, and in a fraction of a second, all of her thoughts were swept away. She blinked several times, trying to wake herself up. But still, the red-haired woman kept walking towards her, clad in a turquoise Ryosian dress. There was no mistaking who this was, but in an attempt to make it real, Laken regained her ability to speak.

"Mom?"

Roksana gazed at her grown daughter, smiling just like she did in the past.

"Yes, sweetheart." She stopped in front of Laken, taking her shoulders with both hands. "It's me."

Despite being pulled into Roksana's arms a few seconds later, Laken still couldn't believe it. There was no way this could be happening. It just wasn't possible. Her mother had been dead for twenty-five years, only to suddenly show up on a planet with no life forms? And yet, here she was…exactly how the younger woman remembered her.

For now, Laken shakily lifted her arms to lightly return the embrace, still not sure if she was losing her mind.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

She could barely talk for a while, so the two of them walked along the edge of the pond before settling onto a patch of grass. After they were seated, Laken spent some more time staring at her mother. There was no possibility of this being real, but all the same, she felt the gentle fingers grazing her cheek. It wasn't an illusion of any kind.

"How are you…?" Her words got stuck momentarily. "Why are you here?"

"I'm always here, Laken. For however long you want me with you."

"But…?" The younger woman didn't want to remember that horrible tragedy, so she didn't finish her sentence. "I do want you with me, all the time."

"And I want to be with you too."

A few moments later, Laken thought of how she'd feel if her father were here as well. If Roksana was here, why wasn't Jack with her? They were always inseparable.

"Hello, ladies."

Roksana grinned widely, looking past her daughter. Upon following her gaze, the younger woman saw Jack walking behind them. A jolting mix of shock and joy ran through her as he settled down next to his wife, but after spending this time with Roksana, seeing Jack felt almost normal to Laken. The three of them were together again, like they were on Earth before it was all destroyed. What could be more normal than that?

Every few minutes, she'd hear her communicator chirping, along with Spock's mental prods. Though she knew it was best to answer both of them, judging by her current findings, none of her comrades could possibly be in danger. But at some unknown point, the recognizable essence consumed her mind once more.

 _Spock?_

Her sibling suddenly emerged from the woods, slowing to a stop when he saw the two figures on either side of the woman.

 _Laken…those are not your parents._

 _But…_

 _The communicators are nonfunctional, and the captain wants everyone to rendezvous at the glade. You must step away from them._

As much as the child within Laken wanted to stay with her family until the end of time, she impulsively rose to her feet and stepped away from the forms of her parents. Her legs moved without much effort, but she couldn't keep from glancing back at Roksana and Jack.

"We'll be waiting, Laken," said Jack, right before Roksana spoke as well.

"We're always with you."

Walking away from the two of them was one of the hardest things Laken had ever done, but somehow, she was able to muster up enough strength to do it. Once they made it back into the woods, the siblings broke into a run. Though speaking was too difficult at such a fast pace, Spock filled his sister in by other means.

 _It seems that this planet is artificially producing life forms…whatever or whomever we are thinking about at the moment._

 _Really? I…I guess that explains it. Where are we going now?_

 _Jim is currently embroiled in a conflict with a tormentor from his schooling._

 _Will we be able to get out of here?_

 _Not unless all of us are in the same place._

And so they ran, unsure of how to get out of this mess.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Play…such a simple word. But as Laken and her comrades had just learned, seemingly complicated matters often turn out to be quite trivial. And even after being made to believe that McCoy was dead, and that Martine was critically injured, it turned out to be part of the planet's purpose. It was just an amusement park, according to the Caretaker, and nothing that occurred on the surface was permanent. As Spock had surmised, the planet manufactured anything the inhabitants thought of, making it the ideal planet for the crew's shore leave.

Though Kirk wandered off with the image of a former sweetheart after Spock returned to the ship, Laken didn't try to seek out her parents again. Despite the planet's good intentions, she knew all too well that while the people were physically identical to Jack and Roksana, they weren't truly them. Seeing carbon copies now wouldn't help the woman relax and unwind. The two of them were still at rest, and it was best for them to stay that way.

Instead, she simply walked around, eventually sitting against a large tree. A brown and white French bulldog wandered over a few seconds after Laken let herself imagine it. She gazed ahead, absent-mindedly petting the dog after it settled into her lap.

 _This place really is beautiful._

"Oh, hi."

Laken glanced to her left in time to see a fellow sciences crewman coming around a boulder. He didn't look too much older than her (physically, at least), and he had platinum-colored hair. She hadn't encountered him upon the ship before, but something about him looked familiar. Then, she noticed that this person had blue stripes beneath his eyes.

 _He's Ryosian!_

"Hello," she answered. "We haven't met, have we?"

"No. Are you from the medical unit?"

"Research."

"Ah. Well, I work in astronomy. We must've been in different parts of the ship."

"I guess so." She paused, praying that she wasn't blushing. "I'm Laken."

"Rafal. Nice to meet you."

By the time they shook hands, poor Laken knew her cheeks were red. But she didn't really care too much, especially when Rafal settled against the tree next to hers.

"So," he went on, "I see we share a world. Which part of Ryos are you from?"

"Oh, I…actually, I've never been there." Though the woman was a bit worried of how he would react to her lineage, she continued all the same. "My father was Human, so he and Mother raised me on Earth."

"How interesting." Laken was surprised at how her new acquaintance's eyes lit up. "So you're two worlds joined together."

"I…yes, I suppose I am."

 _Wow. If_ _ **he's**_ _this open-minded, what about the rest of the planet?_

"Did you like it on Earth?"

"It's very beautiful. I wouldn't know if it's prettier than Ryos, though."

"You've never been there?"

"No."

"You need to see it. It's quite a place, very colorful."

"Someday, maybe." Feeling a little adventurous, she went on. "Perhaps I'll do so sooner if _you_ visit Earth."

"Well," said Rafal, returning the grin, "I think we have a deal."

"I guess so."

There were a few slow moments of heated silence before the young man spoke again.

"Well, I should be off. My commander might wonder where I am." He stood up to depart, but glanced back at Laken. "When we return to duty, would you…maybe we can see each other again soon?"

The woman's insides warmed up even more at the idea. This person seemed nice enough, but on top of that, he was the only Ryosian she'd been near in a very long time. While she'd heard that the planet's High Powers sometimes looked down on citizens who'd leave without returning, such as her mother, perhaps the overall population was tolerant.

 _Like him…_

"I'd like that a lot."

"All right, then. I'll see you soon."

With a smile and a salute, he was gone. After a couple of seconds, Laken leaned back against her tree and pulled the bulldog a little closer. Though she wanted to enjoy the rest of shore leave, another part of her couldn't wait to return to the ship.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf53-** **Aw, I'm glad the story makes you so happy! Thanks again for your ongoing support =D**

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 _USS Enterprise; Late 2267_

Laken took a deep breath as she settled into a chair in the recreation room. Though it had been a while since Khan Noonien Singh and his superhuman crew had tried to take over the ship, a lot of people were still on edge about it.

 _No, it's fine now. We won't be seeing him again._

After a few seconds, she noticed Sheila enter the room.

"Hey," she muttered, smiling as her friend joined her at the table for breakfast.

"Hey yourself. How's it going?"

"Busy." She paused, guiltily eyeing Sheila's healing arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, will you please stop beating yourself up about this? We weren't ourselves."

"I know, but I could've killed you."

"Well, it's not that you were left unscathed either," the Human replied, using her free hand to gesture towards the very faint bruise on Laken's cheek. "In any case, at least it got rid of those stupid spores, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

She tried to shake off the rest of the guilt, but out of nowhere, a wave of danger collided with her thoughts. Though there was no way to describe the situation, her guts felt like something was seriously amiss with Spock. He was usually a calm presence in her mind, but now…a strange chaos.

"You all right?"

Glancing at her friend, Laken made herself smile.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I have to…"

"Anything wrong?"

"I feel sick."

Without disposing of her tray, the woman wandered out of the room and headed down the hall. Despite not knowing the exact location of her sibling, she gently reached out with her telepathy.

 _Spock?_

She felt him, but it was such a foreign sensation.

 _Laken, wherever you are, do not come near me in any capacity._

 _What's wrong?_

There was no answer, but he allowed her to delve into his thought just enough to see what was going on. It was a brief flash of fire, of death itself. After several seconds, Laken stopped walking as the realization hit her. It was the Vulcan Time, consisting of unrestrained emotion and internal Armageddon. She'd heard of it, but now that it was her brother going through this torment, she was consumed by fear.

 _Will you survive?_

 _I have requested leave from Jim. If the vessel makes it to Vulcan in a timely fashion, my ailment should be appeased._

 _Spock…promise me you will live._

The woman didn't feel anything for a while, but soon, her brother's strained response slipped into her head.

 _I will keep myself strong until the ship arrives. Please do not seek me out until I know the danger has passed. Do we have a promise?_

 _Yes._

Laken wandered back to her quarters and resumed the sewing of her Ryosian dress from childhood. It was all she could do to distract herself from her overpowering horror. She intended to keep her promise, but what if the ship didn't get to Vulcan in time? What if T'Pring didn't want Spock, and allowed him to be consumed by the fever? So many things could go wrong in this situation. The very notion of losing Spock was torturous for Laken, and it took all of her strength to not go to engineering and personally steer the ship to the dry world. Somehow, fate had to make sure all would turn out well.

The hours passed, as did her progress with mending the gown. It wasn't exactly like it was in her younger years, but trimmings from the original frock would surely go well with the finished product. In any case, focusing on this proved to be successful in distracting her from her sibling's conflict. Still, it had been a while. Unsure of whether or not Spock was still in danger, Laken tentatively reached out. She felt his presence, but before she could gather her thoughts, his mental voice made contact.

 _Sister…I am well._

 _You are? What happened?_

 _T'Pring chose the challenge, and elected Jim as her champion. The fever was purged when I believed him to be dead at my hands, but he is alive._

 _So…you're going to be okay?_

 _Though I would not choose those specific words, yes. The madness had left me._

Laken sighed in relief, holding back a few tears.

 _I know happiness is a Human emotion, but I'm very happy to hear this._

 _Indeed. Likewise, I am pleased at my unmarred health, along with Jim's._

 _Me too. Will you please rest now?_

There was a pause, but all the same, Spock ultimately replied.

 _For tonight, I suppose. But I will be fit for duty tomorrow._

 _Fair enough._

Smiling to herself, the woman closed her eyes and regained her composure. It took a few minutes of convincing for her to accept the fact that Spock was fine, but eventually, she calmed herself enough to set the dress aside and lie on her back. Her brother had been at the brink of death itself, and she didn't think she had the energy to deal with that fear ever again.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"So, did you enjoy growing up on Ryos?"

"Yeah," Rafal said, smiling. "It's a really great place. My parents did a good job. They can be a little uptight sometimes, but they made sure I didn't want for anything. Dad always told me to reach for the stars, so I'm doing just that. Literally."

"Ah." Laken paused, fiddling with her cup of water for a few seconds. "Is it just your parents, or is everyone on the planet…a little uptight?"

"Eh, it depends. Some people can be kind of dodgy about 'planetary loyalty' and stuff like that, but it's mostly fine. As long as you're creative, that's definitely a plus."

"Oh, good. When did you start studying astronomy?"

"I've been at it for a while, ever since I stopped aging fifty years ago."

" _Fifty?_ "

Rafal chuckled before going on.

"Yeah, I know. I'm seventy-three, but I stopped aging at twenty-three."

"Right, I can see that."

Laken laughed lightly, enjoying the quiet when it came a couple of seconds later. Still, it wasn't long before her beverage companion changed the subject.

"How about Earth? Did you just stay in Seattle before going to the academy?"

"Actually…my parents were killed when I was ten. There was a shuttlecraft collision one night."

"I'm sorry, that's awful." The young man looked down for a moment. "You didn't have to go to a shelter of something, did you?"

"No. Actually, I ended up being raised on Vulcan."

" _Vulcan?_ "

The woman proceeded to tell him the whole story, from her rescue to her conflicts with both of her adoptive parents.

"Wow. It's great that you and Commander Spock are so close, but…gosh, I'm sorry about all that stuff with his parents."

"Me too."

"Maybe it's just that ambassadors are tightly strung. My mom and dad are the ambassadors of Ryos."

"They are?"

"Yep."

 _Yikes. And if they're tightly strung…_

"Ah, don't worry. They've been to many planets, so not much phases them."

Despite her worries, Laken took a breath and sat back. She liked Rafal more with every rec room date, and he seemed to like her as well. Their pace was nice and steady, so for now, she decided to just let herself think about the possibilities ahead.

 **000000000000**

 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf53-** **I'm sorry you had a rough day, but I'm glad the story cheered you up! :]**

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 _USS Enterprise; 2268_

Though she'd known this was coming for a couple of weeks, Laken still wasn't prepared for it. Over a hundred ambassadors were boarding the _Enterprise_ for a conference upon Babel regarding the Coridan conflict, and her adoptive parents would be among them. While she screen-chatted with Amanda every now and then, she hadn't physically seen her or Sarek since graduating Starfleet. It was similar for Spock, who hadn't been in the presence of his parents for at least a few years. But whenever he did pay Amanda a rare visit, Laken never tagged along. She'd been happy for such a long time, and as much as she loved the woman who'd saved her life, she didn't want to revisit such a chaotic part of her past.

If that wasn't stressful enough, Rafal had told her that his own parents would also be attending the conference. He planned to introduce Laken to them as his sweetheart, and the woman was more than a little nervous about it.

"Don't worry," he'd said reassuringly. "They're a bit protective of me, but I'm sure they'll like you. In any case, meeting them will distract you from…Mr. Spock's parents being aboard."

And she hoped it would. Though Jim had requested that she be present when the shuttlecraft arrived from Vulcan, Laken made every effort to delay being there. In fact, the trouble she was having with putting on her full-dress uniform provided the perfect excuse.

"Lieutenant, where are you?" the captain asked through the communicator.

"Captain, I'm sorry. The uniform…I'm having difficulties making it fit, just start without me."

"Very well, you can greet everyone later on. Kirk out."

She loosened her grip on her collar, sighing in relief. While it was a temporary mercy to not have to confront this issue at the moment, her other qualms soon returned. After peeling off the disastrous full-dress clothing, she opened a drawer and pulled out her green dress. It had a color similar to her original frock, but it wasn't completely Ryosian in style. Nevertheless, she modeled the design as close to the desired result as possible, and using parts of the small dress as linings gave it elegance. Once she finished lacing the strings, Laken weaved her red locks up into a curly bun and headed out of her quarters. It took a while to find Rafal, but she passed the time by reaching out to someone else.

 _Spock, are you holding up okay?_

 _"Holding up?"_

 _Another expression._

 _Well, I am upright._

 _Are you…at peace with them being here?_

 _Somewhat. Seeing Mother again is pleasing. But in the case of the ambassador and I, there is no change._

 _I'm sorry. It's a Human emotion, I know, but still._

 _Indeed. I am also…regretful._

 _Will you be all right?_

 _I shall uphold my position as an officer and serve in any way I can, as you will do for the Ryosian representatives._

 _Yeah, I'm on my way there now._

 _May you prevail, sister._

 _Same to you._

Her insides were heating up like crazy at this point, but upon locating her companion a few moments later, it died down a bit.

"Oh, there you are! You look beautiful."

"Thanks. Wow, don't you look handsome."

And indeed he did. The man was clad in a blue outfit with white knee socks and regal black shoes. His beaming smile certainly improved the look as well.

"Why, thank you," he replied as he took her arm and led her down the corridor. "I hope you're not still nervous."

"Sort of."

"Don't be. What's there to dislike about you?"

"Laken?"

Recognizing the voice, Laken impulsively looked to her left. They were in an intersection of the halls, and Amanda was approaching from one end. The younger woman saw Sarek behind her, but made herself focus on her second mother. Amanda stopped momentarily to look at the girl with warm eyes before gently embracing her.

"It's good to see you, Amanda."

"I missed you." The Human pulled back, glancing at the dress. "You look lovely!"

"Thanks, so do you."

"Thank you. And who's this?"

Suddenly remembering where they were headed, Laken stuttered a reply.

"Oh, this…this is Rafal. Rafal, this is Amanda. She adopted me when I was little."

Amanda shook his hand with a smile, subtly realizing the possible significance of this person. After another moment, she looked back at Laken and persuasively gestured towards Sarek with her eyes. As reluctant as she was to do so, the younger woman turned her head to look at the Vulcan. Surprisingly, he was intently returning her gaze.

"Ambassador."

She quickly looked back at Rafal, who was swift in rescuing her.

"We were just on our way to see my mother and father. They're the Ryosian ambassadors."

"Oh, how nice!" Amanda replied, trying to diffuse the tense mood. "We'll see you two later, then."

Once they'd gotten far enough down the hall, Rafal put his arm around Laken's shoulders.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Your m…your adoptive mother seems nice."

"She really is."

"Jury's still out on _him,_ though."

Laken nodded, not wanting to waste any time talking about Sarek. For now, she regained her composure and took a breath as they entered one of the guest rooms. Upon first glance, she thought they were in the wrong place. Neither Rafal's mother or his father looked a day older than fourteen. Despite this, Laken reminded herself that though it appeared to be the opposite, they were much older than they looked.

"Mom, Dad."

"Oh, Rafal!"

The much younger woman kissed her son's cheek, while the young man shook with him. They glanced at Laken, prompting Rafal to speak again.

"Laken, this is my mother, Rika, and my father, Rembrandt."

"It's great to meet both of you," Laken told them.

"This is Laken," the man said, holding her hand. "I've told you about her, remember?"

"Yes, of course. Hello."

Though Rika's words were polite, Laken felt a bit of coldness from her. Rembrandt proved to be the same when he spoke.

"Well, Rafal, perhaps you can help your mother unpack?"

"Sure."

The girl's companion tentatively stepped forward as his father went on.

"It was nice meeting you. Now, if you'll please excuse us."

Laken's legs unconsciously carried her out of the room and back to her own quarters. She was too stunned to know what to think about this. Did they have some sort of problem with her?

 _Is it because my mom left the planet, or…?_

After a while, she heard someone at the door.

"I'm _so_ sorry," Rafal told her once she stepped into the hall to join him. "I had no idea they'd react like that."

"Did you ask them about it?"

"I should've, I know. I was just shocked."

"So was I. Did _I_ do something?"

"No, not at all. They…"

He seemed hesitant to go on, but Laken slowly crossed her arms.

"They what?"

"Mom told me she wants me to be with someone more…suitable, in her words."

"In what way?" He didn't respond, but she knew the answer. "Fully Ryosian, you mean?"

"They're overly protective."

"Why would you need protection from me?"

"That's not what I meant. They're prominent on Ryos, so they have a specific view of what might be best for me."

Hurt at the possibility of Rafal agreeing with this, the woman reluctantly pressed on.

"Do you not think I'm best for you?"

"Laken, they'll come around."

"Your parents made their thoughts very clear. I'm asking what _you_ think."

"I…of course I want to keep seeing you. But they're my parents. I can't just ignore them." He took her hands into his before continuing. "Just give them a while. They'll change their minds."

"And what if they don't?" Rafal didn't answer, and eventually, no longer wanting to hear one, Laken withdrew her hands. "I'll see you later."

"I…"

The door shut, cutting off any other speech. Laken gradually removed her gown, replacing it with her regular uniform. She held herself stoically as she left her quarters and proceeded down the corridor, but before long, her dormant feelings bubbled to the surface. Upon entering a nearby observation deck and finding it empty, she finally let herself cry.

For the past several months, she'd found a very good friend within Rafal. In fact, to say he was her friend would be a large understatement for both of them. She hadn't ever felt this way about anyone up until this point. And now, after she'd allowed herself to develop these feelings, Rafal almost seemed ready to follow the whims of his parents, even if it meant following them in their prejudice.

 _Would he…?_

"Greetings."

She hadn't heard anyone come in, but after turning in the direction of the voice and seeing Sarek approaching, her insides twisted.

"Hi," she forcefully muttered, looking back out into space.

"Have your experiences with Starfleet been satisfying?"

"I'm shocked to hear you ask."

"I am merely curious, since you have never agreed to speak with me during your communications with Amanda."

Not in any mood to deal with this, Laken scoffed bitterly.

"You should want to speak with your own son rather than with me." There wasn't a reply, prompting her to glare at him. "Why do you care? And why didn't you disown _me_ when I joined Starfleet?"

"You are not Vulcan."

"How observant of you."

Ignoring the remark, the Vulcan went on.

"I meant that your people might not have the same feelings for Starfleet as Vulcans do."

"Well, I don't _have_ any people. They've rejected me, just like you rejected Spock."

Before Sarek had a chance to speak again, Laken stormed out, leaving him alone on the deck. The doors hadn't closed back up for more than a few minutes or so before the familiar pains shot through his form.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	15. Chapter 15

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

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For the next several hours, she focused on entertaining the other ambassadors. While many knew about the death of the Tellarite ambassador, Laken was able to keep her composure and maintain a strong sense of calm amongst everyone. They were surely preoccupied over the Coridan issue, so in addition to the food, that proved to be good enough of a distraction.

Meanwhile, the woman's mind was consumed by other thoughts. Though Spock had internally informed her that Sarek was no longer a suspect in the murder, he'd also mentioned the elder Vulcan's heart episodes. Upon learning that the most recent one had occurred on the observation deck right after she stormed out on him, Laken felt a bit guilty. No matter how estranged they were and how cold she considered him to be, she'd never wish death upon him. And it sounded like that would be his fate without a special operation.

 _Do not dwell on this,_ Spock had told her from sickbay. _Your duty is to the Ryosian passengers. Regardless of their misgivings about you, you must stand by them as I stand by Sarek…and his misgivings._

 _Okay. Keep me posted._

And so she stood by the Ryosians. Rembrandt and Rika had kept their distance ever since the awkward introduction, but Rafal didn't seem to be hanging out with them a lot. Still, he wasn't seeking Laken out either. Nevertheless, she remained polite to everyone. Her heartache over the fellow crewman festered greatly when coupled with her personal guilt regarding Sarek. Even when the Orion attack had been thwarted and Spock had told her of the operation's eventual success, her worries weren't eased until the departure of all the ambassadors to Babel.

Unfortunately, things didn't improve. Rafal was flat-out avoiding her now, and by the time the ship began returning the passengers to their respective planets, she'd decided to do the same. It hurt too much to be around him in light of the possibility of another rejection. Talking with Spock in the rec room was the only effective preoccupation.

"So you'll both be okay?"

"Doctor McCoy said he will need to do follow-ups with Sarek and I before he returns to Vulcan, but he is highly optimistic."

"Good."

The Vulcan remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Also…Father and I have started discussing things."

"Really?"

"There are empty spaces to be filled, of course, but…unlike before, he seems to be trying to listen."

Laken smiled, truly pleased to hear this.

"That's wonderful."

"And you?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you given any more consideration to mending your relationship with him?"

"Spock, I never had any relationship with him to begin with. There's nothing to mend."

"You have wanted a father figure for quite some time. Now that he has changed his perspective of you and I, will you not allow him to make an effort?"

"I don't want to get into this right now. Things are complicated enough as it is."

"With the Ryosian ambassadors?"

"I dunno. They're not talking to me, and neither is Rafal."

"Well, perhaps it would be logical for you to confront that problem rather than allow it to affect your mindset."

"I'm going to."

"Ryos is the ship's next stop. If you're going to say something, you have approximately 2.932 hours to do so."

As much as she didn't feel ready to take this advice, Laken figured it was better to get through all the pain at once. After Spock departed in the direction of the bridge, she straightened up and headed towards the main reception room. Aside from Sarek, Amanda, and Rafal's parents, there weren't many ambassadors remaining there.

 _Just as well. The less people around for this, the better._

But when Rika eyed her dismissively from across the room, the younger woman froze. Despite looking older than the representatives of her foreign world, she felt tiny. Her thoughts seized up, and she couldn't concentrate on anything until Amanda approached her.

"Hi, Laken."

"Oh, hi."

Rafal entered the room at that moment, stopping in his tracks when he saw Laken. Then, he began walking towards her with an anxious look on his face.

"You all right?" Amanda asked, gently resting a hand on her adoptive daughter's arm.

"Yeah."

Though the Ryosian man looked like he wanted to say something, his parents soon stepped up to them.

"We're glad you're both here," Rembrandt started, "because we want to set things straight before this… _fraternization_ goes any further."

"Yes." The tone Rika was using tied a knot in Laken's gut. "Rafal, your father and I do not approve of your affiliation with this girl. She seems pleasant, but…we raised you to have standards in all aspects of your life. You need to be with someone worthy of you."

Laken could feel Amanda's anger through her touch, but held onto her before she could bite back. However, they were both shocked when someone else spoke.

"Enough, Mother. That's _enough_."

The young-looking Ryosian glanced at her son, wide-eyed at his sharpness.

"Rafal, that is no way to—"

"She's not worthy of me?" Rafal said, interrupting Rembrandt. "That's what you're saying? Because you couldn't be more wrong. If anything, I'm not worthy of _her_."

Laken was completely taken aback. Until this moment, she thought he would never speak to her again. He certainly hadn't been doing so for the past couple of days. But now, after all of that, he was challenging his own flesh and blood to defend her. So as he went on, she could only observe…and adore.

"You want me to have standards, but for _what?_ Intelligence? Kindness? Or do you mean having to be perfect? Laken may not be completely Ryosian, but if you're anything to go by, it's not something to be admired. This woman is more accepting of diversity than either of you are, and she's one of the most curious and gifted people that I have ever known."

Things were quiet as the Ryosian couple processed their shock, but Sarek approached and broke the silence.

"Having heard my wife describe the lieutenant's immense accomplishments with both her studies and her time in Starfleet, I would deduct that your son's evaluation of her is sound."

"Absolutely," Amanda added.

Though Laken was touched by her mother's words, she found herself trying not to feel the same way about the Vulcan. For now, she refocused on Rafal's voice.

"You know what? I care for both of you, but whether or not you approve of her doesn't even matter. All that matters is that _I_ love her."

Not sure if she'd heard him clearly, the woman swiftly turned to meet his eyes.

"You…you do?"

He looked right at her, stepping a bit closer.

"Yes." He turned to glance at the stunned Ryosian couple. "Excuse us."

And in that moment, everything came together. She barely felt him leading her into the hall, as it felt more like walking on the clouds of Earth. It was almost as hard to listen to his words.

"I'm sorry I acted like an ass about this. I just needed to wrap my head around…"

Laken cut him off with a gentle kiss. Rafal seemed surprised for a second, but returned the gesture immediately.

"I love you, too," she told him after they reluctantly ended the kiss.

They locked hands, and all they could think to do was walk.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The two of them remained in a warm daze for the next hour. No words were spoken, but they simply used the contact of their fingers to feel their respective thoughts for each other. Despite their embroilment in this, the concentration was abruptly shattered by the corridor's loudspeaker.

"Lieutenant Naftali to sickbay," McCoy's voice announced. "Lieutenant Naftali to sickbay."

Though a little annoyed, Laken wondered if something had gone amiss with Spock's follow-up. Swallowing her momentary ire, she looked at Rafal and smiled.

"I'll find you later."

"Okay."

The love-struck woman gradually made her way to the doctor's office, but once she got there, she was confused to not see Spock. Only McCoy and Amanda were there.

"Doctor?"

"Sorry, Laken. Mrs. Sarek wanted to have a private talk with you, away from everyone else."

He made his way into another room, leaving Laken alone with her adoptive parent.

"Is Spock okay?"

"Yes, they both are. He already said goodbye to us."

"Amanda, I really…"

"Honey, _please_ ," the Human implored, approaching the younger woman. "I don't know when we'll see you again. This could be your last chance to make peace with your father."

"He's _not_ my—"

"I'm sorry." Amanda ruefully looked away momentarily. "Laken, you know he didn't mean what he said."

"I'm not going into this again. Maybe he regrets the words he used, but stop saying he cares about me when he doesn't. I was never anything but an inconvenience to him."

"That is untrue."

They both looked over to see Sarek coming out of the recovery room. Laken felt an impulse to leave, but maintained her stance.

"So you were secretly jumping for joy when I arrived on Vulcan?"

"Those are not the most logical words to use."

"But did you want me there?"

He didn't answer for a while, but right when he was about to, the younger woman held up a hand to stop him.

"Look, I…I'm glad the surgery went well, and…I appreciate you speaking on my behalf with Rafal's parents. But I think we would all be better off if you focused on your relationship with Spock. Please, just leave me be."

Not wanting to see whatever expression was in his eyes, Laken turned back to Amanda and made herself smile.

"I love you, and I loved seeing you."

Amanda readily accepted the embrace, albeit with a look of strong regret. Still, she didn't say anything as Laken looked at the two of them one more time before departing.

As she went down the hall, the lieutenant let go of the tears she'd been holding back. When she was ten, she was desperate for parents who would support her through anything, like Jack and Roksana did. And instead, Sarek criticized everything she did, while Amanda stood by him instead of her kids. Laken was happy that Spock and Sarek were mending things between themselves, but she wasn't interested in doing so herself.

 _No…it's far too late. I gave up on him long ago._

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	16. Chapter 16

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

 **BadWolf53-** **Why, thank you so much for reviewing! =D**

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 _USS Enterprise; Mid-2269_

Laken held onto her PADD as she slowly went down the corridor. The ship was shaking more than it usually did. Then again, it was in close pursuit of a small cruiser that had been stolen. But she wasn't worried. For now, she needed to deposit her week's research into the databases. Though it was simple enough of a task, the woman often found herself daydreaming a lot. She and Rafal were still doing very well. They'd limited their closeness to regular dates and handholding, since neither of them wanted to rush things. And this practice was proving to be effective in keeping the heat alive. Indeed, the love they shared felt like it was enough to be self-sustaining at this point.

Despite this, she was more than able to concentrate on her regular duties. She got more work done in the past two days than she normally did in a week; her migraines had even died down. While it wasn't clear how long this rush would last, the lieutenant intended to take every advantage of it.

OOOOOOOOOO

Spock stood in the transporter room, barely maintaining his composure in the presence of the seven survivors. He'd originally thought there were six of them, but as it turned out, two women were literally hanging onto each other; they ended up beaming onto the same transporter pad. While the whole group appeared out of the ordinary, the Vulcan didn't quite know how to react upon recognizing one of the women. They'd never met, of course, but he had seen her before on many occasions. Her face, her dark wavy hair, and the medieval-looking red gown...

"What is your destination?" he firmly asked the leader, while internally reaching out to his sister.

 _Laken._

She stopped walking, feeling her sibling's concern and urgency.

 _What's wrong?_

 _You need to come to the transporter room…immediately._

Without thinking, Laken turned around and went in that direction. It wasn't a very long walk to the transporter, so it didn't take long to arrive. However, once she did, she paused at the strange scene.

"Herbert, Herbert, Herbert, Herbert…"

The whole group was very colorful when looked at together, and they were more odd as individuals. One man had large rippled ears, one of the women had some sort of circular stringed instrument, and the woman holding onto her…

Laken dropped her PADD with a loud clatter.

 _No…_

The chanting woman caught sight of the lieutenant and paused, leading the others to gradually stop as well. She held onto her blonde female companion for another moment before slowly rising to her feet. Though this person looked confused for a few seconds, her orange-lined eyes soon widened.

"Laken?" Nobody made a sound. "Laken, is that you?"

Not having any words, she nodded. After a bit more silence, the two of them ran forward and pulled each other into a tight embrace. It was completely unreal, but at the same time, they both knew it wasn't a fantasy of any sort.

"Lieutenant," Jim said, prompting Laken to lean back and look at him. "You know this woman?"

"Yes…she's my sister."

" _What?_ "

He was shocked, as was Scotty from behind the console. But Spock was fully composed.

"Her name's Abilene," the woman went on. "I haven't seen her since I was five."

Despite this truth, Abilene still looked exactly the same as she did before she left Earth.

 _Oh, she probably stopped aging at that time._

After a few more seconds of tension, the blonde man in the group resumed the chant.

"Herbert, Herbert, Herbert…"

With the exception of Abilene and the leader, the other three people joined in. Looking to be in a confused daze, the captain left the room, leaving Abilene, Spock, and Laken to contemplate this incredible turn of events.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The girl waited in sickbay while her elder sibling got examined. On a regular day, it would have been fascinating to watch this odd cluster of people and observe how they interacted. But right now, she was too numb to see any of that. Her sister was here. Her _sister_ …it had been thirty-two years since she'd seen her, and out of nowhere, here she was. It was almost as out-of-nowhere as Abilene's original disappearance.

Eventually, the older Ryosian was given the all clear by McCoy, and once a dark-haired Human went into the examination room, Laken led her sister out of sickbay. Things were silent until they reached the lieutenant's quarters.

"Oh, you still have Fluffy!" Abilene picked up the dog from the bed while Laken sat at her desk. "He looks just like he did when I gave him to you."

"Abilene…"

She didn't know where to start. It was so difficult to find words, but ultimately, she brought up the oldest issue first.

"Why…? Why did you leave?"

The older woman sighed, gently placing Fluffy back against the pillows before approaching her younger sister.

"I never meant to hurt you, Laken. It was for a lot of reasons, but you weren't one of them."

Laken found herself feeling relieved at this, as she always wondered if she'd inadvertently driven Abilene off. But there were still so many unanswered questions.

"Was it Mom, or Dad?"

"No. I…" She leaned next to the room's divider, and after a long silence, she looked Laken right in the eye. "I'm drawn to women."

This wasn't what the woman expected to hear, but she wasn't blown away by it either. For centuries, it had been quite normal for people of the same gender to be together. The number of same-sex marriages in America alone had skyrocketed since the 2000s era, and despite the negative efforts of a certain President and Vice President from that time, love and acceptance had ultimately prevailed. So how could Abilene have been afraid?

"Why didn't you just tell us?"

"I don't know. I guess…I didn't think Mom would be mad, but I just didn't want to change how she saw me. You could say that I needed to do some soul-searching. And it ended up being okay. I met Mavig on this journey."

"But you never came back."

"I couldn't. I didn't want to know what Mom thought of me." Abilene smiled a bit before continuing. "Is she still upset?"

Laken's breath caught in her throat.

 _She has no idea, does she?_

"Abilene…she and Dad were killed twenty-seven years ago."

"What?"

"There was a shuttlecraft accident."

The elder Ryosian looked down, hugging herself.

"Oh…"

"You didn't feel her die?"

"No, I blocked her after leaving so she wouldn't find me."

Not knowing if she should feel pity or anger, Laken glanced away.

"I guess that explains why you didn't try to figure out where I was."

"If I'd known, I would have looked for you," Abilene said, appearing to mean it. "Where did you end up?"

"On Vulcan."

" _Vulcan?_ "

"It's a long story, but remember the Vulcan man you saw in the transporter room? He's my adoptive brother."

The other woman looked almost hurt.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he saved my life. I almost got lost to my trance, but Spock's mom brought me to Vulcan and adopted me with her husband."

Eventually, Abilene let herself smile again.

"So you turned out all right."

"It doesn't make it okay that you never came back."

"I'm sorry. Like I said, I never meant to hurt you. The mission just ended up being too important."

"What mission?" Laken pushed, jumping into her next question. "What're you doing out here?"

"Brother Sevrin already told your captain. We're going to Eden."

The younger woman nearly laughed at this.

 _That's the important mission?_

"It doesn't exist, Abilene."

"That's your opinion."

There were several moments of tension, but the elder Ryosian ultimately broke it with a smile.

"I need to check on my comrades, but…can we talk again later?"

Though it was easy to tell just how taken by this fantasy she was, Laken didn't want to risk spoiling the shaky reunion.

 _She just needs time. I'll be able to reason with her if she branches off from the others._

"Yes, of course."

With that, Abilene wandered out of the room, leaving her half-sister in a cloud of shock, confusion, and nostalgia.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Hi again! Let me know what you think.**_

 **BadWolf53-** **Thanks! And I hope you like the episode; it's not exactly the best, but you've gotta love space hippies =D**

 **BlackbloodedSoul2-** **I'm glad you like the story. Thanks for reviewing!**

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A while after the sickbay commotion had died down, Laken found Abilene just outside of the rec room. There was an unspoken tension between them, but all the same, she could still feel what bonded them in their younger years. While the elder Ryosian's comrades played their music, the sisters stood there in silence. At one point, after Spock came in with his Vulcan lute and joined Mavig's song, Abilene reached over to take her half-sibling's hand. And Laken let them feel each other's thoughts. It was conflicted on both ends, of course, but as far as she could tell, the love was still there.

When the Vulcan got up to leave, he ran into the two women on the way out.

"Spock, I…I'd like to formally introduce you to my sister, Abilene."

"Greetings."

"Hi." Abilene eyed him curiously for a while. "So she grew up with you?"

"Affirmative."

She chuckled lightly at his response.

"That must've been boring as hell."

"No," Laken told her, trying to restrain a grin. "It wasn't boring being around Spock."

"Not with that fine music, I bet."

"He didn't play all that much while we were on Vulcan. You picked it up again in Starfleet, didn't you?"

"Yes, indeed. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I must report to the bridge."

He left without another word, prompting Abilene to scoff.

"Is he always like that?"

"Vulcans aren't emotional. But Spock has been an incredible friend. He's Half-Human, like me."

"Oh." The elder woman seemed intrigued by this, but quickly brushed it off. "Well, Mavig said she wanted to talk to me after the concert. I'll come find you after, okay?"

"Sure."

She went to leave, but her sister's voice stopped her.

"And Laken?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

The way Abilene was smiling reminded Laken of the last time she'd seen her. It was a few minutes before Roksana took her to school, and though Abilene always told her sister of her feelings, that time had felt more extreme, and more final. This instance was also intense, but Laken didn't pay much attention to it. Her sister wasn't leaving again, not for now. They would cross that bridge when the ship dropped of the other passengers. In any case, she hoped they would continue rebuilding their relationship.

"I love you too. And I'm so glad you're back."

After one more grin, she headed in the direction of the turbo lift with a warm feeling in her gut.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

 _This can't be…she can't do this!_

The crew had gradually gotten used to the presence of the seven oddballs, and peace seemed to be settling in. But out of the blue, while Laken was accompanying Spock to the bridge about thirty minutes later, all of that relaxation abruptly caved in. Not only did the captives have hold of the ship by means of auxiliary control, but the deranged leader was also threatening the lives of everyone aboard in case of any interference. It was hard for Laken to pay attention to this, as her thoughts were consumed with more personal matters.

 _Was Abilene planning the takeover with the rest of them? When she said she loved me…that was another goodbye?!_

While Spock tried to reason with Adam over the communicator, Laken let herself do the same with her sister. She closed her eyes and dove into her own thoughts.

 _Abilene? Can you hear me?_

 _Do not interfere; I don't want you to get hurt. You've all refused to listen, so we have no choice. We have to find our paradise, no matter what the cost…and no matter how much it hurts._

" _You're making me cry_."

Everyone heard Adam shut off the communications, but the lieutenant wasn't done.

 _Sevrin is out of his mind. I'm begging you, don't do this._

 _I must. We all must._

 _Abilene…big sister…please, don't leave me again._ _ **Please**_ _._

She felt her own eyes tearing up. And then, nothing. Her mind was hitting a wall.

 _Laken,_ Spock prodded, _what is she saying?_

 _She's blocked me…like she did to Mom._

The woman still wasn't giving up, and neither was the captain.

"Mr. Spock, Mr. Scott, Miss Naftali."

Once they made it to the entrance of auxiliary control, Scotty began cutting into the side panel. Part of Laken wanted to pound on the door and beg her sister to stop whatever they were doing, but before she could ponder the notion any further, her senses fell under attack. The last thing she saw was Scotty collapsing to the floor.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"Mr. Spock. Mr. Chekov, join us in the transporter room."

"Permission to come along, captain."

Jim seemed a bit hesitant, but ultimately nodded. Not even a few minutes after coming to and turning off Sevrin's weapon, the three of them ventured to the beaming platform, where Chekov and McCoy were waiting. Laken barely felt her legs move, nor did she notice the buzz of the transporters. All she cared about was locating Abilene.

Not even the utter beauty of "Eden" distracted her. And it was incredibly beautiful, just as the legends painted it to be. If not for her urgency, Laken might've wondered if the myth was actually a myth. However, Chekov's piercing scream quickly vaporized all of those possibilities, as did the sight of his burned hand.

"All this plant life is full of acid," McCoy discovered. "Even the grass, Jim."

"There's the shuttlecraft."

The five of them immediately ran to the distant vessel at the far side of the pond and opened the door. Their feet were severely injured, so Laken assisted in helping Mavig to a nearby rock. She looked for Abilene from the side of her eye, but she was probably still in the shuttlecraft. When Dr. Sevrin broke away to eat the poisoned fruit, the lieutenant could only stand there numbly. All she could focus on was the fact that the elder Ryosian still hadn't come out. She went over to check, but there wasn't anyone left inside the craft. Growing concerned at the idea of Abilene being alone somewhere, Laken walked back over to the blonde woman.

"Where's Abilene?"

Mavig couldn't answer, as she had begun to cry.

"I…I tried to stop her, I'm sorry."

"What d'you mean?"

"She was upset, she…" The Human had trouble speaking through her sobs, but continued all the same. "She ran outside, said she betrayed you again for nothing, and…"

Though her wails overtook her, Mavig lifted a shaky hand to point at the nearby water. Laken didn't understand what the woman was talking about at first, but upon seeing the brown Ryosian shoes protruding from some weeds, her body seized up.

"No. _No_ …"

Spock followed his sibling's gaze, and once he caught sight of the half-submerged body, he approached Laken. All of a sudden, she made a dash for the water's edge. But the Vulcan was faster.

"Stop," he told her, grabbing her arms from behind. "You'll be burned."

"Let go!" No matter how frantically she struggled, the devastated woman couldn't break free of Spock's grip or her own anguish. "Let me _**go!**_ "

She couldn't be dead. Laken had just gotten her back, so she couldn't have possibly just lost her over a false dream. But the pain was too real, too searing to be another fantasy. Her muscles suddenly gave out, and she felt herself collapse. The fear of being burned by the grass didn't even register. Nevertheless, Spock caught her before that could happen, keeping her on her feet.

"The water's poison, like the fruit," McCoy said, trying to use the right tone. "It was quick, Laken."

That was hardly a comfort, but the lieutenant hated the thought of her sister in pain. Still, she eventually regained herself enough to stand on her own. Though the grief was numbing everything, her tears began to slow enough for her to see the captain approaching.

"I'm sorry, lieutenant."

Laken was barely able to nod, as her mind was already letting in the darkness.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"Come on, please open the door."

A few hours later, Sheila and Rafal stood outside Laken's quarters. They'd been there for almost thirty minutes, but there was no sign of movement within the room. And no matter what they said, neither of them could get a response from her.

"Laken, you shouldn't be alone right now," the Ryosian man implored. "Just talk to us for a little bit."

"The captain's putting together a funeral for her. Don't you want to be there?" Sheila sighed, leaning against the adjacent wall in defeat. "It's no use."

"We can't just leave her."

"You don't think she's in another one of those…?"

"No, I'd feel it if she were in a trance."

"Should we tell someone?"

At that moment, they noticed Spock coming down the corridor.

"Is there any change?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," Rafal said. "She won't come out."

"Both of you should go on to the ceremony. We'll be along."

"You sure? She's not answering."

"We shall be along."

The Human and Ryosian tentatively wandered away, leaving the Vulcan to stand outside the door.

 _Laken. Please unlock the mechanism._

It too precisely 3.291 minutes, but the door ultimately slid open enough for him to walk inside. Spock stood next to the desk and gazed at Laken. She was lying on the bed with her back to him, clutching Fluffy to her chest. After another minute, he moved a bit closer until he was leaning against the wall his sister was staring at.

 _Is it easier to not feel, Spock?_

 _I have never asked myself that question._

 _I mean, does it make life better to not deal with sadness, rage…anything?_

 _Truthfully, there are times when I envy your ability to feel emotions._

 _You shouldn't. The good ones are wonderful, but…when the pain outweighs the good, it eats you alive. That's what happened to Abilene._

 _Perhaps you are correct. But even so, it means that she couldn't stand the idea of her being the cause of your pain. So do not let her fear come true._

 _It's a little too late._

 _That is how you felt twenty-seven years ago. But as was the case then, you are not alone. You have comrades who will always be by your side, who care for you a great deal._ Spock paused in his thoughts for a brief moment. _I am one of those comrades._

 _I know. She just…_

It was too difficult to find a way to describe the grief Laken was feeling. But no words were needed, as the two siblings felt just how deep the anguish went. Everything hurt within the woman, to the point where it was almost unbearable. Despite this, Spock was right. She'd hit a similar wall when her parents were killed, and she overcame it. It would be difficult, but somehow, she had to be strong. She had to have the strength her sister didn't have.

 _For both of us._

After another few minutes of silent mourning, they made their way out the door, arriving just in time for the memorial. There weren't a whole lot of people there. In addition to Laken and Spock, McCoy had decided to attend. Jim, Scotty, Sheila, and Rafal were also present to pay their respects. Noticing someone missing, Laken made herself speak.

"Where's that woman…Mavig?"

"Oh," Jim muttered. "Well, I offered to let her leave the brig for the ceremony, but she was too upset."

"I see."

There wasn't much left to say. All everyone could do was watch as the urn was launched into space. Laken stared at the obsidian orb, not taking her eyes off of it until it was gone.

 _Well, Abilene, perhaps you'll end up drifting to Eden after all. It might take a while, but…I hope you find it._

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **djhay4-** **Thanks for the review! And without spoiling too much, let's just say I do indeed have a plan for the future ;)**

 **BadWolf53-** **I'm glad you still like the story (and that you liked the FB movie) =D**

 **0000000000000000**

 _Earth Spacedock; 2270_

It was over. After nearly five years of non-stop exploration, the mission had come to an end. Even in light of returning to Earth after being in space for so long, everyone seemed ready to go back home. Laken certainly included herself in that category. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. It was getting harder to concentrate on her research, and things had never been the same since Abilene's death.

Everybody had changed as a result of the journey, including Spock. Right before the ship made it to the spacedock, he made the decision to go to Vulcan. While Laken didn't really know what he intended to do there, he didn't seem too sure of it either. All he could say was that he needed to find himself.

 _Better late than never._

Soon after seeing off Spock from the Earth port, Laken went to a different shuttle with Rafal. They'd spent about a week in San Francisco since their return, but now, the woman was honoring her promise to visit her other world.

"You're not nervous again, are you?" Rafal asked on the way there.

"No."

"We don't need to see my parents, if that's what has you worried."

"It's not that. I just…what if people don't want me there?"

"None of that matters. We'll be there together. And you'll love it."

By the time they finally went past Saturn and reached the planet, Laken knew Rafal would be proven right. Ryos looked a lot like Earth at first glance, but unlike the other world, this one seemed to be a bit brighter. The water was vibrant, as were the colors of the visible land. She became more mesmerized once the shuttle settled onto the surface.

Everyone was incredibly beautiful; it certainly wasn't a myth that other species considered Ryosians to be amongst the loveliest creatures in existence. And the planet itself was even better. The woman had never seen anything like this before. So many of the wooden houses were built up in the tallest trees, or on the sides of mountains. They were high enough to see all of the beauty. Then again, there was plenty to be seen on the ground. A rainbow of flowers draped every visible meadow, where they appeared to shine upon the grass.

"You should see it in the winter," Rafal told her, almost two weeks into their holiday. "There are lights all over the place, and the stars always look best at that time."

"I look forward to it."

"So do I."

Unfortunately, later in the afternoon, the Ryosian man got a sub-space message regarding an advanced astronomy mission. It was an opportunity he'd dreamed of for decades, but the starship intended to travel to the farthest reaches of the Alpha Quadrant, if not even further than that. In addition to this, it was unknown how long the mission would go for. While it was possible that it would last a year, or maybe two, the length was completely undetermined.

"Gosh, I…I don't know how to feel about this."

"It's okay to be happy," Laken said, albeit with sadness in her heart. "You've waited so long for it."

"Well, I can't accept it."

"Why?"

"You're going to be busy with your archiving, and I couldn't be away from you for that long."

"We could still talk, with our thoughts."

"It wouldn't be the same."

"I know. But please don't turn it down because of me. Imagine how much you'd learn!"

She could tell by looking at him that he felt the same way. So after getting his things together and enjoying the trip back to Earth, the two of them prepared to say goodbye. For several minutes before the shuttle's departure from the platform, they could only stare into each other's eyes.

"My life is yours, Laken," Rafal said, his green orbs watering up.

"As mine is yours."

The couple leaned forward for a kiss, followed by a long embrace. Eventually, the man had to make himself back away enough to step into the shuttlecraft. But he never took his eyes off of Laken.

"I love you," he told her as the doors started sliding shut. "I'll be back."

"I love you too."

And then, he was gone. Once the craft took off towards the spacedock, Laken finally let her tears fall as she hugged herself. After what happened to Abilene, she didn't know how she'd be able to function with both Spock and Rafal so far away. Still, all she could do was remind herself that she still had her comrades. Most of them were going their separate ways for now, but Sheila was planning to stay in San Francisco. In fact, the two of them had plans to meet for lunch that afternoon. So for that reason alone, Laken wiped at her eyes and left the landing platform, unaware that someone was watching her from afar.

"How're you feeling?"

"Okay."

"Come on, you don't have to pretend," Sheila prodded, taking a bite of her salad during lunch. "You sounded pretty down."

"Well, I…I'm happy for him. The opportunity is amazing."

"But it could be for a while."

"Right." Laken sighed deeply. "It's…it's just hard."

"I know," the Human said, reaching across the table to lay a comforting hand on her friend's wrist. "But don't worry. When he comes back, I'm sure you'll get the best make-up sex ever."

 _"Sheila!_ " Almost spitting out her water at this, the Ryosian woman laughed. "Don't say stuff like that. Besides, we haven't even…"

Sheila put up her hands with a look of shock, but lowered her voice for her friend's sake.

"It's been years, and you two haven't done it yet?"

"He wants to honor the Ryosian tradition of waiting until marriage."

"Lame."

"Oh, stop it."

"What if you're not compatible…y'know, in _that way?_ "

"Can we talk about this later?"

"I'm serious. Don't you think you should find out…?"

Her eyelids fluttered weakly, and her shoulders sagged.

"Sheila?" Laken sat up a bit, growing alarmed. "Hey, what's…?"

She sprang out of her seat when the Human suddenly fell over sideways. Catching her right before she hit the ground, Laken gently eased her friend onto her back.

"Someone, help! Get the medics!"

People started to scramble about, but all the woman could focus on was her own panic for Sheila.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Earth; San Francisco, California; Late 2276_

After sipping her coffee that morning, Laken went into her study to take care of more data transfers. It was taking a long time to archive everything she'd collected during the mission, but then again, part of her wondered if she was purposely being slow. She didn't want to focus on Rafal being gone, or on Sheila still being so sick. This was good enough of a distraction.

Still, the woman made sure to visit her friend at least twice a week. Upon examining her for the first time, McCoy had said the Human's blood disease was at a bit more of an aggressive stage than in most cases; it was also proving to be resistant to treatment. Despite this news, Sheila's body was almost as resilient. Though she had to be medicated daily with frequent bed rest, her nurse was sure that she'd live for at least a few more years, if not longer.

But it was still awful. Sheila was around Laken's age (in Earth years), and forty-four was far too young to be this sick. Nevertheless, the Ryosian made sure to keep up her spirits for the sake of her friend. But one morning, while preparing to take her comrade some soup, she felt something from a great distance.

 _Spock…_

Somehow, Laken wondered if he'd hit a wall in his _kolinahr_ ritual. She could sense his conflict, along with his insecurity. While she secretly hoped he would stop trying to purge the emotion from his thoughts, the woman wanted him to be successful in whatever he wished to achieve. So she reluctantly pushed her doubts aside and refocused on her current task.

"You're not still hung up about me, right?"

"How can I not be?"

"I'm _fine_." Sheila had lost some weight, and the strain of the disease made her look older than she was. "Don't waste your life worrying about this."

"It's not a waste. I'm happy to be with you."

"But isn't there something else you could do?"

"Just the archiving."

"I mean going back out into space!"

"That's died down for now."

"No way. There's still a lot to explore out there." Recognizing the look on her friend's face, the Human sat up. "Abilene would want you to keep going."

"I know. But…the feeling of all of us being together was a big part of that, and everyone's gone off in different directions."

"That can't last forever."

At that moment, Laken heard her communicator chirp.

"Sorry, I'll be right back."

Upon walking away to take the message, the woman could hardly believe what it was. She'd barely processed it by the time her feet finished carrying her back to Sheila.

"What happened?"

"It sounds like my commission's been reactivated." Noticing her friend's smile, Laken shook her head. "Well, I'm not taking it."

"Why not?"

"You need me, I can't just—"

"Hold it. You listen to me, Laken Naftali." The Ryosian woman shut her mouth, taken aback by Sheila's boldness. "That drive to explore got you through the toughest time of your life, and it'll do so again. If you even think about moping around and watching me die when you could be doing something better, so help me God…I will come back, and I will _haunt_ your ass."

Laken could've laughed at this, but she was too busy taking in those words. She remembered how happy she was when the _Enterprise_ set off for the first time. And now, that very ship had been re-polished for a series of new adventures. To make things better, her gut told her that this would ultimately bring her and Spock back together as well.

 _Well…here we go again._

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	19. Chapter 19

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

 **BadWolf53-** **Thanks again for your support! =]**

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 _USS Enterprise; 2285_

It took a while, but Laken was eventually able to get the uniform to properly fit her. Though the red cloth was a bit thick, she knew she'd get used to it. On the bright side, she had the choice of wearing regular black slacks instead of a skirt with uncomfortable tights…just like on the first voyage. In any case, being stuck in this attire wouldn't be a permanent thing.

 _Like Spock said…it's just a short training cruise._

And she was happy to help. Though Chekov was on a different ship at the moment, reuniting with her other crewmen was always a pleasure, as was assisting the next generation of cadets. It was quite rewarding as well. After the events of the last month, getting back out into space would surely do her good.

For the past several years, Sheila had been able to live her life with a generous amount of comfort. While she didn't have the strength to return to duty, she did end up teaching a few engineering courses with Scotty. But several weeks ago, the illness ended up taking a turn for the worse. The woman didn't respond to any new treatments, and with every passing day, she lost more strength. McCoy ultimately had to tell Laken that Sheila was dying. Though the Ryosian woman knew this would happen at some point, she still wasn't ready for it. Nevertheless, after solidifying her composure, she went into the familiar residential complex to say goodbye.

"You made it." Sheila's voice was very soft, and Laken wasn't sure if she was herself. "Took you long enough."

"I was here three days ago."

"Forgot."

Laken's eyes watered as she took her friend's hand. That simple touch told her how frail the Human was, and how close she was to slipping away.

"How're you feeling?"

"The meds are working, so that's good." Things were quiet for a while. "You're going off again pretty soon, right?"

"Just for a bit."

"You don't think it'll lead to something?"

"Admiral Kirk says it's a training mission."

"Pfft. _Admiral_ Kirk…it's so funny to hear that."

Laken nodded, wanting her friend to be her old funny self for as long as possible.

"It sure is."

"Hey…" Sheila trailed off for a few moments before regaining her words. "Will you do something for me?"

"Sure, anything."

The brown eyes fluttered shut.

"Bring me back a moon rock."

And then, the Ryosian felt her shrink. The essence of her life grew fainter and fainter until…nothing.

The distraught woman finally let her tears fall as she grasped the lifeless hand. Despite the powers she was born with, it was so hard to believe that a person could be here at one moment and then gone the next. But after a while, Laken composed herself and folded Sheila's hands over her chest before alerting the hospice nurse. On her way out of the apartment, she ran into someone else.

"Scotty."

"Oh. Hello, lass. I came to…" Upon seeing the look on Laken's face, he tightened his grip on the bouquet of flowers. "She was a fine engineer, a fine woman."

"Yes."

Things were very tense for a bit, but Laken didn't need her telepathy to know just how Mr. Scott felt about Sheila. No words could truly voice it. So instead, she voiced something else.

"Well, I…I guess I'll see you on the ship?"

"Aye, that you will."

And now that she was finished dressing, the woman comforted herself with the knowledge that she'd see the rest of her allies soon.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Seeing how eager the research trainees were to learn was quite encouraging. And there were many of them. Envisioning these young people taking her place upon the _Enterprise_ actually made Laken feel a bit old. Someone watching from afar would think she was crazy for thinking so, as she still didn't look any older. But it still seemed like she'd been at this for a century.

During the vessel's journey towards the Regula station, that feeling grew stronger when she received a private briefing video in her quarters. Seeing what the new technology of Project Genesis could do made her mind spin.

 _I never could've come up with this during the mission._

But at the same time, her sibling had mixed feelings.

 _New ideas from young brains are not always what's best, sister._

 _Well, it's still incredible. And we won't be around forever._

 _Indeed. McCoy is under the impression that this device could be the cause of widespread obliteration._

 _Could be. But what if—?_

 _Forgive me, but I must report to the bridge. Another Federation vessel is in sight._

 _Okay. I'll make sure the trainees are following along with everything._

Laken turned off her screen and made her way out of the room. Then, out of nowhere, the yellow alert turned on.

 _What…?_

She slowed down, but didn't stop walking. This situation was really starting to confuse her a great deal. However, before she had a chance to think about it further, the commander was thrown off her feet.

By the time she got back up, Laken realized she was right by the ship's data archives.

 _The trainees!_

"Report!" she shouted upon stumbling into the room. "Anyone hurt?"

"We're fine," one of them strained. "What's going on?"

"Everyone hang onto something. Evasive action!"

The Ryosian felt awfully useless, since none of them had much training when it came to combat situations. Then again, it was the research division. Why would they know what to do during an attack? At the moment, they could only hold on and pray for the ship to stop lurching.

When it finally did, Laken sensed something.

 _Laken, are you injured?_

 _No, you?_

 _Negative._

 _Spock, what the hell is happening?_

 _The_ Reliant _has fired upon us._

 _Why?_

 _They are hailing. Stand by._

As the woman made sure the cadets were calm, she herself was on edge. Why on Earth would a fellow Federation starship be attacking them? Fortunately, she didn't have to wonder about this for long.

 _Laken…do you recall our encounter with Khan Noonien Singh?_

 _I'll never forget. Why?_

 _He is commanding the_ Reliant.

Her insides froze. Khan was back? When they left him on that faraway planet fifteen years earlier, she thought they'd never have to deal with him again. And now, out of the blue…

 _Spock…are we going to die?_

 _Unknown at the moment. For now, remain calm and make sure your trainees follow suit._

Once she was sure her hands had stopped shaking, Laken got to her feet and addressed the huddle of frightened students.

"Stay calm, everyone. Nobody's hurt, right?"

A few of them had some scratches from the turbulence, but that was the extent of it. Besides, they seemed to be calming down a bit. While some people startled when the ship rumbled once more, it wasn't nearly as violent as before.

"What was that?" one young man inquired.

"Are we being attacked again?"

"No, keep calm. I'm sure it's fine."

 _Spock, what was that?_

 _Our batteries have allowed us to fire back. We appear to be safe at the moment, but we must recover our power before Khan does._

Though Laken was glad to hear this, she still had a pit of worry within her gut.

 _What if he gets there first?_

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

For the next hour or so, all the research team could do was wait for repairs to finish up. However long it would take, that would be how long Kirk, McCoy, and the other members of the landing party would be stuck within the Regula asteroid. Wanting to feel somewhat less feeble, Laken spent her time training in the ship's gymnasium. The padded dummy provided enough resistance for her to practice her blocks, but her mind was still in a twist.

 _This is stupid. I should be able to do_ ** _something!_**

No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, the frustration was taking over. If that wasn't bad enough, she could feel another migraine swelling. Her arms lashed out against the dummy, and it blocked her attack just as she expected it to. She focused everything on perfecting her maneuvers, to the point where she didn't hear someone enter the gym behind her.

"Oh!" Laken was taken aback to see Spock come in. "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be overseeing the maintenance?"

Normally, the woman wouldn't push her brother away like this. But she didn't want him to notice her internal turmoil. Nevertheless, as she resumed her movements, part of her knew she couldn't hide anything from him.

"I am not part of the engineering unit, so I cannot quicken the pace of the repairs." The Vulcan paused, eyeing Laken. "Nor can you."

"I know. Just figured that I should work out a bit."

"If I am not mistaken, Ryosians are not fond of conflict."

"Well, it's still common for them to train in self-defense."

"If you were trying to change the subject, it did not go unnoticed."

Laken paused, letting out a sigh.

"Forgive me for wanting to feel strong while I still can."

"There is no logic in that desire, as you are already strong."

"I…"

She couldn't find words. Spock watched silently as his sibling wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Are you still taking the medicine Dr. McCoy gave you?"

"I'll ask him later. It's been years since the last one, so…"

"If you are feeling powerless because of Commander Haymitch's passing, there was nothing you could have done."

"It's not that. Just…we might not be far behind, Spock. What if we're too old to do anything anymore?"

"No good comes from focusing on what cannot be done, Laken. For as long as we are able, doing our duty to the best of our capabilities is all that matters."

It was hard to argue with this, but the woman was still unsure of herself. Despite her feelings, she made herself return Spock's gaze as he continued.

"Perhaps you should assist your trainees with processing our most recent data. In any case, it will give all of you an important task to focus on."

Laken nodded, trying to tell herself that he was right. While she didn't have a lot of confidence at the moment, she hung onto those wise words.

 _What would I ever do without him?_

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	20. Chapter 20

**_Hi again! Happy Thanksgiving to all; read on and enjoy._**

 **BadWolf53-** **Why, thank you!**

 **0000000000000**

Once the admiral, Commander Chekov, and the others were back aboard about an hour later, Laken breathed a little easier. She reminded herself that she couldn't do more than she was capable of, and right now, she was only capable of helping the cadets focus on their research. Then again, nobody knew what to research with the ship wandering into a nebula at that moment.

Nevertheless, the woman kept her cool, hoping the others would see her and do the same. While it was no use to pretend that the danger didn't exist, avoiding a ship-wide panic certainly wouldn't make things worse.

"Just try to stay calm, everyone," Laken told her crewmen in the archives. "Be ready for possible impact."

And it didn't take long for that to happen. According to Spock, both ships were too damaged to do much more harm to each other. Still, everyone could feel the _Enterprise_ jerk from the blow.

 _Did they get us?_

 _We've hit them, but our port torpedo is down._

The waiting game continued as the rumbling sounds buzzed through the walls. None of her trainees were badly injured at the moment, but Laken could feel everyone's terror.

 _Khan's probably feeding off of it._

After a while, she heard her sibling reach out.

 _Our mains are off-line, but the_ Reliant _is a sitting duck._

 _So, are we…?_

She trailed off upon feeling Spock's concern.

 _It appears that Khan has activated the Genesis Device._

 _What?_

 _Upon ignition, it will reorganize all matter within close enough of a distance._

 _You mean…it'll kill us?_

 _We are departing as quickly as the ship is able, but unless the mains are fixed, the explosion will most definitely result in the deaths of us all._

The Ryosian let out a shallow breath. She'd been thinking about death a lot lately, especially after what happened to Sheila. Now, it was coming for every living soul aboard the _Enterprise_. Though she was afraid, the woman straightened herself up and addressed everyone.

"We're leaving the nebula. Everyone just stay down, okay?"

They would not die in a blind panic. Laken was determined to make sure nobody would know what hit them, just like a true officer would do. She steadied her breathing as she gripped the seat next to her, reaching out for her farewell.

 _Spock._ Nothing. _Spock?_

Laken felt something in between her mind and that of her brother. It wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she pushed.

 _Is he blocking me?_

Then, all of a sudden, the vessel lurched forward. The commander shut her eyes, bracing for the end, but it never came. She heard the trainees mutter in surprise, and upon walking over to the control panel, a large sigh of relief slipped out of her. The mains were on-line again. It was surely some type of miracle, like God himself was watching over the ship. But when she felt the shields drop between her and Spock, blind terror rippled down her spine.

 _No…oh,_ ** _God_** _…_

Without saying a word to her crewmen, the woman hurled herself out of the room and ran down the corridor towards the engine room. It was hard to tell how long it took her to get there, but to her, it felt like under a minute. In any case, the sight of her brother curled up inside the contaminated reactor room propelled her forward.

"Laken, stop," McCoy stressed gravely when four engineering cadets seized the frantic Ryosian. "It's too dangerous."

"No, you have to get him—"

"He's beyond help."

The desperate woman didn't hear him. Her legs moved unconsciously towards the reactor once the men let her go. Spock had always maintained a regal stature during his command, but now, he almost looked like a frightened little boy. She'd never seen him like this before, so as much as she wanted to deny it, Laken knew the situation was grave.

 _Spock,_ she reached out while kneeling down a few feet from the transparent wall. _You have to get up._

The Vulcan was barely able to turn his head and look at her. Once he finally did, the Ryosian nearly wished he hadn't. There were green blotches on his visible skin due to the radiation, and through their bond, she realized he could hardly see. Then again, that proved to not be necessary as he reached out.

 _If I…if I were able to rise, it would only hasten the end._

 _Please don't say that. Don't think it!_

 _Laken, no matter what…regardless of what occurs, now or in the future, you must proceed through life._

 _Not without you._

 _That is your only option now._ Laken wanted to protest, but Spock's thoughts went on. _Please know…I am…deeply grateful to have had you in my life. I flourished from your presence, as I hope you did from mine._

 _Of course I did! But I want us to keep flourishing…_ _ **both**_ _of us._

 _I desire the same. However…I will not be part of that equation._

Laken's tears had overflowed by now, and though Spock wasn't moving much, she could feel his emotions. Pain, sorrow, fear…

 _Do not dwell in sadness, my sister. It is my wish that you find contentment in all endeavors._

Eventually, the dying man looked away, prompting Laken to numbly rise to her feet and take several steps back. She couldn't focus when Jim approached to interact with Spock. Instead, she held onto her link with her sibling. Similar to Sheila's situation, his essence felt like it was drifting away, shrinking into a vapor. Despite this, everyone heard the Vulcan use his remaining strength to speak to the admiral.

"I have been…and always shall be, your friend. Live long…and prosper."

In a matter of seconds, Laken felt him diminishing. She used all of her strength to grasp what was left of their bond, but it was no use. After one last flicker, the spark went out. She felt around her head…empty. He was gone.

" _No_."

The devastated woman was too shocked to comfort Jim, and she silently made her way out of the engine room. She could hardly remember where her quarters were. Still, she ultimately stumbled through the sliding door. Her body was robotic as she took off her uniform and stepped into the shower. The temperature was hot, but it didn't matter.

 _The only one I had left…he_ ** _can't_** _be dead._

Aside from her overwhelming grief, nothing registered in her mind, not even when she dried off. Something in her sub-consciousness compelled her to pull on a loose green shirt and some sweatpants. Laken hadn't dried her hair, so the long locks were dampening the back of her top. But she didn't care. She didn't care about anything at this point. When her vision darkened a few minutes later, she realized that she was falling into another potentially fatal trance. Despite this, her unease decreased even more. If anything, it pleased her. As long as her parents, her sister, Sheila, and Spock awaited her, she couldn't reach the other side soon enough.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

By the time Jim got to her door about an hour after the funeral service, he was completely wrung out. Still, he figured a friend should check on her. It took a command override to get through the entrance, but to his horror, the admiral found himself grieving for a whole different reason.

"No, Laken." He rushed to the corner of the room and shook her shoulders, staring at her blank face. "Come on. Come _on,_ you've **got** to wake up!"

Nothing worked. All the Human could do was stand there for a while. He soon got the idea to lead the limp woman to the bed and sit her down. Then, Jim backed up against the wall and look into the Ryosian's eyes; they had turned completely green. No words could describe his torment in that moment. Losing Spock was awful enough, and now, he was powerless to save another friend.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	21. Chapter 21

**_Hi again! Read on and enjoy._**

 **djhay4-** **I'm afraid you're right! =[**

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Her condition hadn't changed by the time the _Enterprise_ made it back to Earth. With how emotionally crippled he was after Spock's death, Jim could only imagine how Laken felt…or would be feeling, were she still conscious.

 _They grew up together. I can't even fathom…_

Once he'd seen McCoy home, the issue of his other friend remained. The admiral didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone in her apartment. Bones' state was quite off, but at least he was awake and talking again. All Jim could think to do was check her and her belongings into a hotel room not far from his own place. Perhaps he'd check on her later, but at this point, he knew he couldn't help her. Besides, if he were in her position, he wasn't sure if he'd want to be roused.

But his thoughts were brushed away by Sarek's surprise visit. Though Kirk already felt guilty before, these words from the grieving father only made it worse. Plus, he was downright confused about the whole _katra_ business with Spock and McCoy. It made him sad to think of his friend's soul being lost forever, but Vulcan mythology was lost on him. Despite this, the elder man was determined to make sure Jim followed through. Still, he certainly had his doubts.

"What you ask…is difficult."

"You will find a way, Kirk. If you honor them both, you must."

 _Doubts be damned…_

"I will. I swear."

Though it was hard to think of a plan for all of this, Sarek interrupted the process by speaking again.

"Before you go…might I also be made aware of Laken's whereabouts?"

This road was quickly getting bumpier. Jim didn't think his friend would want the elder Vulcan to seek her out, but at the same time, who was he to deprive him of this knowledge?

"Well, she…she's in one of those trances, so I brought her to a hotel."

"Which one?"

"Golden Gate Inn, not far from here."

"Do you have her room key?" The Human hesitated. "She will die without intervention, Kirk."

"I realize that, but…I don't know what she'd want."

"Nor do I. However, there is no logic in abandoning what can be recovered, especially in light of what has already transpired."

After a few contemplative seconds, Kirk handed over Laken's key.

"Will she be okay?"

"Please allow me to focus on her wellbeing, admiral. You focus on Spock's."

"Very well."

Upon leaving the apartment and arriving at the hotel, Sarek wandered down the hallways until he found the room number on the card key. It was almost completely dark inside, save for the city lights shining through the blinded window.

"Lights, fifty percent."

From the corner of his eye, he saw someone huddled in a corner by the bed. It was strangely painful to see Laken in this state. He remembered her as being headstrong and sharp-witted…nothing like the sight in front of him. Still, Sarek regained his control as he came to a stop before her. Logic dictated that he move her to the bed before starting the meld, but something else compelled him to kneel next to the immobile woman.

Right before the fingers of his right hand could make contact with her face, he paused. What if Kirk was right? What if Laken wanted to die? He was well aware of how deeply she cared for Spock.

 _Understandable…and logical._

Still, maybe she would want to live in a world where her brother was at peace, even if his body was gone. But maybe she would not. If Sarek pulled her back from the brink of death, perhaps she would despise him even more than she already did. Was this a risk worth taking?

 _I…I cannot lose another child._

After taking a soft breath, the elder Vulcan initiated contact and began the link.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Laken felt something. Everything was so close to being over for the rest of time, but now, there was a presence pushing at her mentality. It was very familiar as well, and her soul warmed with joy.

 _Spock…oh, Spock, is that you?_

She waited for an answer, or for her brother to take her wherever he'd been dwelling since the tragedy. But her spirit lurched upon hearing a different voice…the last one she wanted to hear.

 _I am not Spock._

Her grief boiled violently, and anger seeped in.

 _Get out…get out!_

 _I will not._

 _Leave me_ ** _alone!_**

 _You shall die if I do._

 _Good, that's fine. There's no reason to live anymore. Spock was…he understood me, accepted me for who I am._

 _Your shipmates also understand and accept you, along with—_

 ** _Stop_** _it! Stop acting like you care about any of my friends. You never cared, just like you never did about me._

 _As I have said in the past, you are mistaken in your belief that I have never felt anything for you._

 _Just…_ The despair was growing. At this point, all she wanted was for him to go away. _If you have an ounce of sympathy within you, let me die. Please._

There was a very long pause.

 _If letting your life end would bring you peace, you can make that choice. But before you do, I invite you to search my mind._

 _What…?_

 _I wish for you to look into my deepest thoughts, so you will have the truth._ Not expecting to hear such an offer, Laken hesitated. _Please…go on._

And after a few tentative seconds, she did.

It was impossible to describe the range of intense emotion within the Vulcan, especially since she'd long thought he didn't have any at all. But she was proven wrong. Ultimately, a vision started putting itself together in front of her. Laken could see Amanda speaking to her husband.

 _"She doesn't have anyone else. Please, Sarek."_

 _Oh…is that when I first arrived on Vulcan?_

While seeing this was odd, the Ryosian soon heard Sarek's thoughts from that memory.

 _Being a young one from an emotional planet, she might not thrive in an environment based on logic. Our customs would surely be foreign to her, just as hers could be damaging to Spock. But…she is a child of two worlds, like our son. Perhaps they can support each other through that connection._

 _"Very well. I shall contact the Terran Embassy now."_

 _It was this,_ he said. _On your ship…this is what I wished to voice._

 _Right before I put my hand up to stop you..._

Laken saw him reprimanding her, not long after Spock left. She felt angry at the memory, but at the same time, she felt something from the younger version of her adoptive father.

 _Grief. You missed Spock, and you actually…?_

Yes…when Laken left the planet with Amanda, Sarek was hurt…over _both_ of them, not just his wife's departure. Likewise, when they returned for Skon's funeral, a large gap within him had been filled. Nevertheless, he'd acted in a highly abrasive manner with Laken for several weeks afterwards.

 _Spock was gone,_ he remembered. _I took my grief and expectations for one child, and projected them onto the other. It was illogical, as was my later statement to you._

Before the surprised girl could process all of this, she saw something else. It was herself, weeping on Earth's landing platform immediately after Rafal's departure. And from across the walkway, Sarek (on the planet for a conference) was watching her. She could feel his dormant desire to approach her, to do what he logically could to comfort her; while he was at it, he wanted to offer his condolences regarding her sister's untimely passing.

 _No…I will likely upset her more._

So he'd reluctantly stayed put and watched her leave.

Being surrounded by various sentiments previously unknown to her was so overwhelming to the woman; she could tell that on the outside, her eyes were filling with tears.

 _It is not the Vulcan way to put these emotions into words, Laken. But please see what is so. I respect you and care for you a great deal, and have for decades, even while we haven't spoken. Whether you believe me or not, I see you as my daughter, as Spock is my son._

 _He's gone,_ she remembered in agony. _Spock…_

 _His_ katra _is alive, child, within the doctor._

 _Bones?_

 _He is going to Genesis with Kirk to retrieve Spock's body. Both of them will be brought to Vulcan. It would be of great comfort if you accompanied me there, so both men can find peace in every possible way. That is what you want too, is it not?_

 _Yes…I do._

 _Then I beseech you…come with me, daughter. Come home._

Laken felt her soul being yanked up, and she returned to the light.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The shock of being pulled from the reverie caused the woman's arms to dart out. But Sarek carefully caught them in his grasp. In addition to her muscle cramps, Laken was overcome with the knowledge from the meld. Her grief for Spock, her old longing for a family, the realization that the elder Vulcan truly did care about her as she always wanted him to…

She couldn't keep from leaning against the man and putting her head upon his shoulder as she wept. Part of her expected him to move away, but instead, he hesitantly rested his hands on her back. They stayed like this for several minutes as the two of them relished their newfound attachment.

"Now," Sarek gently inquired after a while, "shall we bring closure to Spock's essence?"

Laken gazed at her adoptive father through her tears and nodded.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Hi again! Sorry this took a while, but I'm back now. Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf53-** **Whoops, sorry to have confused you! But thanks so much for reviewing.**

 **djhay4-** **Thanks! I appreciate your comments =D**

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Though her sadness still draped over her during the voyage to Vulcan, Laken didn't feel quite as alone anymore. She was able to freshen up with another shower aboard the ship. Unlike last time, the water actually felt refreshing. Afterwards, she put on some clean black pants with her red Starfleet vest and settled down upon the couch. Her quarters were linked to Sarek's room, but they shared a sitting area.

 _At least we finally share something._

A few moments later, the elder Vulcan came in through the door from the hallway. Something in his gaze softened upon seeing Laken. This comforted the girl, since she remembered him as always being harsh. That wasn't the case now.

"We should be arriving soon."

"Okay."

He stood there for a little while longer before approaching the couch and sitting on the opposite end.

"We both grieve over what has occurred, but…I wish to offer other condolences to you, in person. Spock informed Amanda and I about your sister's death shortly after it happened."

Laken's heart ached at the memory.

"Yeah, she…she killed herself."

"I grieve with thee."

"Thanks."

She didn't even feel an urge to roll her eyes. In fact, it was touching. But she couldn't find the right words to reply, as it would probably push Sarek's emotional limits. However, the man went on.

"It is my hope that you do not blame yourself."

"I don't." But since they now shared some sort of bond, it was obvious that he saw otherwise. "She thought I wouldn't forgive her again."

"Or was she incapable of forgiving herself?"

In all honesty, Laken wasn't sure.

"There's just no way of knowing, I guess."

"Regardless of that, there is no logic in dwelling on questions incapable of being answered."

"Some people need to do that, to hold onto what might've been true or otherwise."

"Does it relieve the unpleasant emotions?"

"Not always."

"And you?" She glanced up at him. "Does it help you?"

No answer was needed. It never helped her, and it wasn't helping now. But she wanted to feel something other than numbness. And for some reason, she wondered if Sarek was in a similar position.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Oh, _Laken_ …"

Amanda went forward and embraced the woman, thrilled to have one child home in absence of another. It was a bittersweet moment for both of them. But as they wandered out to the garden, it felt like Laken had never been away. The two of them shared their feelings, just like they used to. There was sorrow, of course, but the Human woman still had a great deal of optimism.

"His living essence has to still be here, sweetheart. We'd be able to feel him with us."

"I know, but it wouldn't be the same."

"No. It wouldn't." Amanda didn't say anything else for a while. "He'd be pleased to know that you've reconciled with Sarek."

"Not reconciled. There hadn't been a point where we were on good terms before, so…it's like we're getting to know each other for the first time."

"Well, Spock would be very happy."

"I don't know if he'd use those exact words."

"Probably not."

Laken liked seeing her adoptive mother's smile in that moment. The years had obviously affected her, but when she smiled, she looked just like she did when they first met. As much as she didn't like thinking about those days, Amanda had always been a bright spot.

 _And Spock…_

"They are approaching." The two women looked over to see Sarek walking towards them from the house. "The landing deck has sights on a Klingon vessel, but Kirk is aboard."

 _Klingon?_

"We should go," he continued.

"Okay."

"My wife?"

"I know I shouldn't come along, Sarek. Just set him at peace."

She grinned again, holding back her tears. After squeezing the older woman's hand one more time, Laken got up and followed the Vulcan around the side of the house. Though it didn't take long to get to the landing deck, it felt like forever to her. Eventually, she caught sight of Uhura. Her crewmate's eyes were warm, but they both maintained their composures in front of Sarek.

"Ambassador, they're on approach. They're requesting permission to land."

"Permission granted. Tell them…tell Kirk, we'll be ready."

Upon looking at the Vulcan and receiving a nod, Laken followed Uhura towards the grounded ship.

"I'm so glad you're back with us," the other woman said, putting an arm around the Ryosian's shoulder as they walked.

"Me too, Uhura."

When the crew got closer, Laken noticed that they were carrying something between them. She wondered if it was McCoy, but he was helping carry the figure on the stretcher. Once she could make out their faces, she recognized the unmoving person.

 _His body…_

But he wasn't burned, like before. In fact, he looked rather uninjured. The surprised woman couldn't keep from laying a hand on Spock's forehead as Uhura spoke to Kirk. Upon doing so, the shock hit her like a tidal wave.

"He's alive?"

"Yeah, but his spirit's in me," McCoy told her quietly.

Laken blinked back her feelings and glanced at Jim.

"What the hell happened?"

"I'll tell you later." He looked so worn out. "Let's just hope this works out."

Despite all of her questions, the woman followed her comrades up the side of the mountain until they reached the flat platform with Sarek. Things were so tense for a while, especially when the elder Vulcan inquired about the "re-fusion." But she was more surprised by how willing the doctor was to bring Spock back, even if it meant putting himself at risk.

"I choose the danger," he'd declared. "Hell of a time to ask…"

And so he went forward and lay next to Spock for the ritual. For a planet so void of emotion, there was such a richness of feeling amongst everyone over the next several hours. Laken could only stand there and shut her eyes. She'd never been a very religious person, but now, she found herself praying with all her might.

 _If there is a God…let him live again. Bring back the man we knew, so he can continue the good he's done._

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Jim. Your name…is Jim."

He was on his feet, and he was talking. Laken felt like her eyes and ears were playing tricks on her. There was no denying the success of the re-fusion, but at the same time, it almost seemed too easy. How could someone be brought back like this? It obviously wasn't a normal thing on Vulcan, as T'Lar had noted that it was from an old legend. But right now, it had been done.

Despite all of this, it wasn't easy at all. Spock wasn't the way he used to be…not yet, at least. Still, his memories appeared to be slowly returning to him. He wouldn't be the same for a while, if ever again, but there was a chance. For now, all she could do, all any of them could do, was step back…and wait.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Hi again! Sorry for the wait, but here I am. Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf63-** **Thanks so much for your comments!**

 **Mary Tolbert-** **I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far; thanks for your thoughts =D**

 **00000000000000**

 _Vulcan; ShiKahr; Early 2286_

Though so many months had already passed, it didn't seem like a long time for Laken. Then again, she'd been in a warm state of disbelief ever since the ceremony. She had gotten used to seeing Spock walking around almost every day, but they still hadn't spoken. It was just too strange right now. After all, he wasn't quite the same as before.

The Vulcan was keeping to himself for the most part. Sarek said it had to do with his rehabilitative training, but it was still very odd. He'd never usually act this way…not around Laken. However, she was becoming more optimistic. Not long after Spock's resurrection, the woman had felt their bond return. Though she sensed his presence again, it didn't feel right to reach out to him yet; he'd have to make the first move. As difficult as it was, Amanda's words provided some much-needed encouragement.

"Give it time, sweetie."

"I know. But…what if he's not the same?"

"Would anyone be the same after returning from death?"

"Well, I…what if he doesn't remember some things, I mean?"

"The priests say it'll be a slow process. He might recall a lot of his life now and the rest later. We just don't know the timeframe yet."

And so the woman tried to believe it. In the meantime, she was able to reconnect with her shipmates. Chekov, Scotty, and Sulu were just as relieved as Uhura that Laken was conscious again, but McCoy was more concerned about her migraines. Despite the miracle that had just occurred, her headaches had come back.

"Don't let up on these meds, okay? Now's the time to nip it in the bud."

"You shouldn't be worrying about this, Bones. Haven't you rested at all?"

"Enough to rival a mummy, so don't change the subject. I'm facing a court-martial, and I can't have a downed crewman on my conscience."

"I'm facing it, too."

"You didn't disobey any orders or blow up the _Enterprise_ , Laken."

"No, but I have knowledge of it. Doesn't that make me an accessory?"

"Well, that…" He appeared stumped for a moment. "Oh, don't get all technical with me. Just take the damn pills."

Laken took them with a roll of her eyes, walking away with a bit of annoyance in her gut. She hoped they weren't planning to make her seem like an innocent bystander who had no part in the rescue. Her awareness of what happened was damning enough, and she was a member of that crew. Even in light of the legendary ship's tragic destruction, the people who sailed on it were just as united as always.

 _I hope they don't forget that._

She turned a corner near one of the caves and saw a familiar face.

"Oh, hey."

"Laken."

Though he'd obviously spruced up since arriving, Jim still looked tired. Saavik had told Laken of how David Marcus had sacrificed himself, but the Ryosian hadn't gotten a chance to speak to the admiral yet.

"Jim…are you okay?"

"I, uh…I'm getting there. Thanks." His expression softened. "And you?"

"I'm all right."

"Oh, I…I hope you're not mad that I told Sarek where you were."

"No, no. We…we're okay now."

"Good."

Things were quiet for a few seconds before Laken went on.

"Thank you so much for saving him."

"It was a given. I had to."

"Yeah. Wow, it's…this is all crazy."

"It is."

"But this can't end with a court-martial, right? I mean, we brought someone back from the dead!"

"Starfleet's more concerned about the _Enterprise._ And the Klingons are pretty upset."

He didn't seem to care much about that part, and Laken didn't blame him. Still, what kind of problems could it cause in their ability to make their case? While Sarek was getting ready to depart for Earth in order to fight for the crew, there was no way to determine what the future held.

"Well…maybe our luck hasn't run out just yet."

"I hope you're right."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Admiral, I—"

"We can't risk compromising the ship, so somebody needs to watch over it."

As much as Laken wanted to protest, she kept her mouth shut as the rest of the crew stepped outside. All she could do was try to convince herself that it was better this way. There was so much to wrap her brain around, after all. Nobody had finished recovering from Spock's return, nor the fact that Earth was about to be vaporized by a probe. And now, in an attempt to find a solution, they had traveled into Earth's past…three hundred years into it.

 _How did all of this happen?_

After checking on the control panel (or trying to; reading Klingon was not her strong suit), Laken took off her red uniform coat and draped it over her chair before sitting back down. Though still annoyed with being left out, she made herself think about other things.

Her thoughts soon drifted to Spock, which didn't alleviate her anxiety. They still hadn't gotten to speak, and there was no activity on his end of their link. It was difficult to be patient, especially since he was already starting to communicate with Jim and a few of the others. Nevertheless, there was a good reason for everything.

 _Our bond is more intimate, so he probably needs more time to process it._

Laken sighed, closing her eyes. It was hard to find things that would calm her, but she tried thinking of them all the same. Her new relationship with Sarek, Amanda's words, Rafal…

 _Wait…Rafal!_

She couldn't remember the last time they'd communicated. Not since right before the encounter with Khan…was he worried? Had he heard about any of this? Laken hesitantly focused on her bond with him, but upon reaching out a bit more, there wasn't anything that she could sense. He couldn't be dead; she would've known if he was. Could he be blocking her, wherever he was? What if his ship was told that Kirk and the others were traitors, and that nobody was allowed to contact them? Why else would his essence be cut off from hers now?

Her eyes were already starting to water, so she stopped thinking about that. They were on an important mission, and breaking down wasn't an option.

 _Be optimistic. Focus on the good things._

And she did, for as long as possible. In fact, upon feeling another head pain coming on, Laken mustered the will to take the medication. Despite her hesitance about relying on chemicals to heal herself, desperate times called for desperate measures.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

She suppressed a shiver and pulled the blanket around herself. Though the temperature of that ocean water wouldn't have normally gotten to her, Laken was overwhelmed. It was mostly joy; they'd saved her home planet, along with two previously extinct humpback whales. But perhaps time travel had mental side effects. However, there was no sense in alarming the others with her emotions. So the woman looked at the shuttlecraft wall and focused on the blanket's warmth. Then, she felt something.

 _Sister…_

Her eyes widened, but she didn't turn to look at Spock from across the craft. Instead, she concentrated on the link.

 _Spock?_

 _You are distressed._

 _No, I…we're saved, everything is fine._

 _I was not referring to the time travel, or this planet. Your mind is conflicted about something more personal._

Laken's eyes filled with tears.

 _I…I don't know._

While she couldn't find words for it, she lowered her protections and allowed him to sense her feelings himself. There wasn't a reply for a while, but once that time came, the girl was nearly floored by her sibling's emotions.

 _I am here, Laken._

 _I almost lost you…I_ _ **did**_ _lose you, Spock. I didn't think I'd ever feel you nearby again._

 _And yet, here I stand. Our bond has not been severed, nor have I forgotten the impact we've had upon each other._

Laken absorbed this response, sighing in relief.

 _I haven't forgotten it either._

 _Then why are you still in turmoil at this moment?_

 _I'm sorry, I just…_

 _You have never asked me to apologize for emotional impulses, Laken, so I will not ask it of you._

She smiled as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

 _You really are back._

 _Obviously._

Though the words were internal, there was no way to hold back a small chuckle.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Laken,_ Spock stressed, _you needn't put yourself in this position._

 _Like you're one to talk?_

Indeed, the Vulcan had just stated his intention to "stand with his shipmates" in the Federation Council Chambers.

"So do I," the Ryosian added.

"As you wish."

It was hard to listen to the President's next words, as her sibling spoke up again.

 _Go back with Dr. Taylor and Father._

 _Nope._

 _You are not part of this._

 _Neither are you._

 _All the same, there is no logic in—_

 _To hell with logic, Spock. I'm just as much a part of this crew as you are, and if you remember the years we've all spent working alongside each other, you won't give me any more trouble. If we fall, we fall together, just like we stand together._

Honoring her request, Spock didn't give Laken any more trouble. In fact, she could feel something akin to pride within him. It grew stronger upon hearing the President's decision to dismiss the charges and assign the demoted captain a new starship to command. This verdict was simply incredible.

 _Nothing could be the same as the_ Enterprise, _but it couldn't hurt to see!_

Everyone was thrilled, and Laken eagerly joined her friends in their celebrations. But after a while of euphoria, she noticed Spock and Sarek saying their farewells with the familiar salute. Wanting to catch her adoptive father before he left, the woman took a step towards him. By that time, Spock was already approaching her with James.

"I'll meet you guys at the shuttle, okay?"

"Sure," the captain said with a grin.

Spock took a moment to look at his sister with tenderness before following Kirk out of the chamber. Due to their new bond, Sarek had sensed that Laken was coming over and waited for her to reach him.

"Can I walk you to the exit?"

"Unless something is amiss with the function of your legs, I assume you are able to."

The woman laughed, rolling her eyes as they stepped into the turbolift.

"Thank you again for saving my life."

"There is no need to thank what was logical."

Despite these words, Laken could feel the affection behind them. Once they reached the building lobby and caught sight of the main door, the Ryosian stopped to look at Sarek.

"Also, it's really nice to see you and Spock getting along."

"The expression 'getting along' may be somewhat excessive, but it is…satisfying to interact with him again." There was a small pause. "And with you as well."

"Likewise." Not wanting to embarrass the Vulcan by making an emotional scene, Laken simply smiled at him. "These last few months, even with everything that happened…I feel like I have a whole family for the first time in a while."

Though the ambassador didn't drop his regal stature, there was a gleam of tenderness in his eyes.

"I have a very similar viewpoint."

The woman looked away for a moment, and upon seeing a familiar figure approaching, her heart nearly stopped.

" _Rafal?_ "

"Laken!"

Indeed, it was him. Though he looked a bit different in the red uniform, the man's physical features hadn't changed at all. Laken ran forward into his awaiting arms, and they kissed for the first time in over a decade. It was such a sublimely beautiful moment for both of them; the happiness was almost numbing.

"What're you doing back?" Laken asked after ending the embrace.

"We'd heard of what happened to Spock, and I couldn't reach you."

"Oh, the trance. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah, it was actually…" She suddenly realized that her second father was still standing there. "Sarek brought me out of it."

"Oh." Rafal gazed at her with a concerned look on his face. "You two are…?"

"We're fine."

He smiled, turning to nod at Sarek.

"Hello, ambassador."

"Commander."

The Ryosian looked back at Laken, appearing as though he'd found water in a desert.

"Laken, I…I was so terrified. I thought I'd lost you, and I couldn't let you feel how much of a mess I was. Especially when…"

He stopped talking, taking a small step back.

"Rafal, what is it?"

Laken nearly gasped when her sweetheart got down on one knee.

"After all of this, I don't want to wait another day to ask: will you marry me?" The blushing man eventually let himself chuckle. "I don't have a ring yet, but—"

"Oh, my God…yes, of course."

Rafal stood up with a love-struck grin.

"Really? You will?"

"I will!"

As she took him back into her arms, the woman tried to wrap her head around how she was feeling. She'd been so scared over him on top of everything else, and just like on the _Enterprise_ all those years ago, her fears were swept away. Something old-fashioned within her prompted Laken to look at Sarek.

"Is this okay with you?"

"If your own logic encourages your choice in a spouse, that is the only approval you require."

Her heart warmed with affection upon seeing that glow return to his gaze. Once the couple had seen the ambassador to his transport, all they could do was hold each other.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"One of the privileges of a starship captain is the honor of joining two people in the bonds of matrimony."

For the first time in months, Jim was beaming. So were the rest of Laken's shipmates. Even Spock allowed his face to loosen up a bit, especially when walking his sister down the rec room aisle. It wasn't just because they had another _Enterprise_ to pilot across space. This occasion was also a wonderful distraction from everything that had transpired. Laken wasn't wearing a fancy wedding dress; aside from a small white veil pinned in her hair, she just had her standard uniform. But that didn't matter. Everything was perfect, almost _too_ perfect.

"Commander Naftali, do you take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold until death parts you?"

"I do."

"And Commander Rafal…" Kirk paused briefly, a bit confused regarding the Ryosian tradition of not having surnames. "Do you take this woman to be your wife, to have and to hold until death parts you?"

"Yes, I do."

Rafal was simply glowing, and so was Laken. A few seconds later, the captain followed suit.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Federation, and by all creatures, I pronounce you husband and wife."

At that moment, the room exploded in applause. Scotty, who was clad in a traditional Scottish kilt, lifted his glass.

"Here's to you!" he toasted, prompting Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, and McCoy to raise their whiskies as well.

"You may kiss the bride."

The newlyweds were all too happy to oblige, to the great joy of the crew. It felt like they were surrounded by the highest clouds in the sky. For a moment, Laken's mind wandered to her parents. Jack should've walked her down the aisle, while Roksana probably would've been dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief with everyone else. But somehow, the woman knew they were already here, watching over her as they always did.

And so, the crew of the _Enterprise_ enjoyed the rest of the day. After all of their travels, every happy moment was vital.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	24. Chapter 24

**_Hi again! This chapter is a bit short, but the next one will be longer. Read on and enjoy._**

 **BadWolf63-** **Why, thanks so much for your review!**

 **00000000000000**

 _USS Enterprise; 2287_

Laken tried to relax for a moment, but she couldn't. Most of the others were able to let loose and take a breath, even after all of this. The new ship wasn't exactly in the best shape to begin with, so naturally, Starfleet had chosen to send them to investigate the Nimbus III kidnappings. And of course, they'd almost ended up having their behinds handed to them (and actually did for a while). However, that wasn't even the craziest part of what happened. Sybok, Spock's half-brother from long ago, had orchestrated the whole thing in his plan to find "Eden." And the mission ultimately ended with his demise.

 _Just like Abilene._

Though she certainly had much more than an inkling of how Spock was feeling, they hadn't really talked about it yet. What was one supposed to say to a grieving Vulcan? For now, all Laken could do was dwell in her quarters. Her blue Ryosian dress from Rafal comforted her enough at the moment, but the agitation was still there. She didn't like the thought of her brother sitting in his room all by himself at a time like this. The sorrow was radiating from his end of the link, and she could also feel him trying to mask it. After another minute or so, the woman left her quarters and strolled to her sibling's door. She wondered if she should knock, but the entrance suddenly opened.

"Laken."

He didn't look particularly distraught (aside from being clad in his black mourning robe), but a glimmer had gone out in his eyes. It was tough to see him like this. However, he soon turned away, allowing his sibling to walk in. Things were quiet for a little bit before the Ryosian could think of what to say.

"Spock, I'm so sorry."

The Vulcan didn't answer for a while.

"I should contact home," he ultimately muttered. "Father might not know what happened."

"Yeah, good idea."

He walked towards his desk, but instead of sitting down, he went over to where his lute was hanging on the wall. His fingers soon reached up to touch the strings.

"It's somewhat fascinating," Spock stated. "Sybok felt the need to end his life out of guilt, similar to what happened with your sister."

Laken took this in, feeling her brother's hurt. So she tried to make it better.

"Well, he died protecting you and the others. That's a change, isn't it? Abilene died for nothing."

He pursed his lips like he'd always do when he was in deep thought about something. His sister could tell how conflicted he was, but at the same time, she knew it wasn't a good idea to mention it. Maintaining his demeanor was very important to him, even at a time like this. Still, he spoke again.

"I do not understand. I feel…a great loss. But there hasn't been any connection between us for some time, nor was there hope for a new one."

"You really don't think there was a chance?"

"No, not for Sybok and myself. Do you believe you and Abilene might have reconciled under different circumstances?"

Though she hadn't thought about this in a while, Laken already knew the answer.

"If she'd been in the right place, yes."

"Then you likely suffered the most from your loss."

"You have every right to be unhappy, Spock."

"It is illogical."

"Feelings shouldn't have anything to do—"

"I meant something else. There is no logic in my grief over a brotherly bond that never existed, since you are more of a sibling to me that he was, even before his departure."

Even in light of the circumstances, the woman felt her insides warm up at these words. She'd always known how Spock felt about her, but it was quite rare for him to say it aloud. Then again, it shouldn't have been such an odd thing. He was half-Human, after all.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Once she was sure that her brother would be all right, Laken made her way back to her quarters. She'd barely turned the lights on when her private screen chirped. Upon going over to accept the call, her lips curled up into a smile.

"Hey."

"Hi," Rafal said, seeming relieved. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Spock is still pretty down."

"I don't blame him." There was a brief pause. "But at least you guys weren't hurt."

"No, we weren't. Not externally."

And that was true. Sybok didn't harm anyone, but he'd gotten into their heads. All of them were made to face things they hadn't thought about in years…things that nearly destroyed them. Laken had faced her darkest moments: the deaths of her parents, Abilene's suicide, losing Spock…

"Laken?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry."

"You sure you're all right?"

She smiled reassuringly, but allowed herself to send her feelings to him through their bond. Though Rafal understood, he knew enough to change the subject.

"I have something to show you when you get back."

"What is it?"

"Well, I want you to be surprised. But I think I found the perfect place for us."

The woman's optimism quickly returned. After living in San Francisco for several months, the two of them had decided to move to their home planet. However, mainly because of Laken's reluctance to be near Rafal's parents, it had taken them a while to decide what area to live in. Despite this, the excited gleam in her husband's eye soon did away with her worries.

"I'm looking forward to seeing it."

They stared at each other for a little while before the Ryosian man spoke.

"Try to sleep tonight, okay?"

"I will. And I'll tell you when we dock."

"Great. I love you."

"Love you too."

Laken turned off the screen and wandered to her bed. She thought about what life would be like on Ryos, when it would be just her and Rafal.

 _No…it won't be just us. Everyone else on the planet will be there._

Her eyelids fluttered as she pushed her past worries away. Despite the attire of the citizens, Ryos was no longer in the dark ages. Though there was still a long way to go, the whole galaxy had evolved a great deal. It was a nice thought, but it also made her feel so tired. The whole crew had been at this for countless years, and it was obvious that everyone was winding down. Space travel had been all Laken knew for a big chunk of her life; it was the only thing that made her comfortable. However, retiring didn't seem so scary now. She had a few more years left. With a little bit of luck, perhaps she and her comrades would be able to ease themselves away from that world, and into a whole different one.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf63-** **Thanks, I'm so glad you like it!**

 **djhay4-** **LOL, I hope so as well! But you never know… ;)**

 **00000000000000**

 _Ryos; 2293_

"Good _God._ "

"You sure you don't want some more water?"

"No, thanks. I've made too many trips to the bathroom in the last hour."

Within only four months, Laken's midriff had grown to the point where she looked like she was just about ready to give birth. But for Ryosians, gestation was exactly five months. She certainly wasn't very thrilled about being in this state for too much longer. If it weren't for Rafal's care and devotion, the poor woman surely would've gone mad.

"At least let me get you another pillow."

After helping his pregnant wife onto the living room sofa, the man got a pillow from the chair and adjusted it beneath her feet.

"Thank you."

"I'm gonna have some lunch. You want anything?"

"Oh, some more of those yogurt-covered strawberries from Amanda."

"Didn't you just have…?" Rafal suddenly caught himself. "Right, the cravings. I'll be right back."

"Thanks."

"No problem!"

Laken turned to look out the long glass window. One of her favorite things about this mountainside house was the view of the field. They were far away from her in-laws, and the landing station was near their hill. Sometimes, she'd sit and watch shuttlecrafts and smaller starships taking off into the sky. Now, the woman could picture doing that with her child in the oncoming years. After a few minutes, she heard Rafal coming back into the room. Things were quiet, prompting her to glance at him.

"What is it?"

He was staring at the PADD with a concerned look on his face. Eventually, he noticed Laken's voice and brought it over to her.

"Starfleet's asking for you."

"Is that so?"

She sat up a bit and fumbled with the PADD, going over the mission details.

"Wait, you're thinking of going?"

"Hmm?" Laken gazed up at him. "Why wouldn't I? It looks like it's just an escort trip."

"For Klingons."

Though the Ryosian had her doubts, she knew how strongly Spock felt about building a peaceful relationship with the Klingons.

"Maybe it's about that explosion from a couple of months ago."

"Right, I know. But with the baby…I don't want you to get hurt."

"That won't happen." She looked into his eyes as he sat down by her. "I'm just about to retire anyways. It'll be a relaxing end to my career."

Despite his obvious misgivings, Rafal let himself smile.

"Well, I'd feel better if I came along with you."

Laken nodded, flattered by his protectiveness.

"I'm sure Jim won't mind."

So they sat there, relieved at the lack of danger this mission contained.

 _That's definitely a nice change._

OOOOOOOOOOO

Upon seeing Bones and Jim condemned by a Klingon court for assassinating Chancellor Gorkon, the Ryosian cursed herself for thinking so optimistically before. Every fiber in her body wanted to help the crew in discovering the truth. However, Spock had other ideas.

"Putting yourself through undue stress will do you more harm than good," he told her. "As you can see, an investigation is already underway."

"But Spock—"

"Return to your quarters. I'm afraid that's an order, Laken."

He went back to the search, leaving his sister standing there in anger. The woman could only storm out into the corridor. She'd always hated feeling useless, but to be flat-out told that she was too fragile to help…

"Whoa, whoa."

Before she even got back to the room, Rafal had felt her ire radiating through the link. He gently took her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

"God, I…sorry, this damn uniform is so tight. I want it _off_ …"

She removed the red coat and relished the feeling of her remaining T-shirt and shorts. Her husband immediately escorted her to their bed, moving back so she could lie against him.

"Shh, easy. Easy."

The woman felt somewhat better in a matter of seconds. The feeling of his hands grasping hers sent plenty of soothing thoughts through her body. Their wedding night, moving into the house, finding out that they were expecting a baby girl…

A few minutes later, she was calm.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Your body's going through a lot—"

"No, I just can't stand being treated like an invalid."

"Spock doesn't want you to get hurt. Neither do I."

"But I'm not getting into a fight or anything."

"Stress is bad for the baby." Laken nearly rolled her eyes, but she knew he had a good point. "This crew has never given up on one another. We'll get them both out of there somehow."

The woman leaned backwards into his arms, trying to make herself believe that their luck hadn't run out.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was too much for her to process. She had to leave the bridge to keep from vomiting. They'd just been able to get Jim and Bones off of that awful prison planet, and to make things a bit better, everyone knew who the traitor was: Lieutenant Valeris. But the Ryosian could feel how hurt Spock was over the betrayal. Still, the way he'd ripped into the other Vulcan's mind, the way she'd screamed at the invasion…

Laken's stomach had calmed by the time she made it into the hallway. Though she could feel her husband's concern from the other part of the ship, the woman couldn't bear the idea of anyone talking to her right now. Everything was so chaotic. Yes, they had the location of the peace conference (courtesy of Sulu), and with a bit of good fortune, they'd probably make it in enough time to stop the other conspirators. But the lows they had to stoop to were hardly worth it. This side of Spock unsettled her greatly. He hadn't even told her about this beforehand; his thoughts were blocked before it happened. Is that what their relationship had come to?

For the next few hours, she could only sit in the rec room by herself. In an odd type of way, going back to her quarters almost felt too familiar. But eventually, Laken was able to pick herself up and wander back to the room. It seemed darker than usual, even when she glanced at Fluffy as he sat on her pillow. She picked him and sat, staring down at the brown beads that made up his eyes. This entire situation was just so ugly. There were good intentions behind the mission, but perhaps it was in vain.

Then, she felt her sibling's presence outside her door. Despite her reluctance to be near him at the moment, his mood was that of the man she knew, rather than the one she saw on the bridge. The panels slid open, allowing Spock to walk into the room. There was a shadow upon his face, but he regained his composure and spoke.

"You are…unsettled by what occurred today."

"Yeah." It was difficult to not feel upset at the memory. "I am."

The Vulcan took a few steps forward until he was standing next to the bed. He remained there for a couple of seconds before sitting down beside Laken.

"I am also unsettled. It was not an action that I hold in high regard."

Though she knew deep down that he was being truthful, the woman still felt doubtful about the whole affair.

"That shouldn't have happened."

"You are correct. But Laken, I am responsible for all of this. What's done is done, and now that we have reached this point, I have to right my wrongs, regardless of how disagreeable the process is."

"Your intentions were good."

"Perhaps the time wasn't right."

"Is there ever a wrong time for peace?"

"Logical." Spock paused for a moment. "But there is never a right time to put you in danger, especially when you are in this condition."

"You're not going to get all weird again, are you?"

"Laken, you are carrying a child while aboard a targeted starship. It would be illogical for me to not take precautions."

"I know."

"And I do not wish for you to doubt my respect for you, as both an officer and a person."

"No, I don't. You always follow protocol."

"I didn't do so today."

It wasn't long before Spock had to report to the bridge, but up until that point, the siblings were able to regain their common ground. Despite the conflict that was yet to come, Laken felt better than she had in a while.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Please, _please_ , let's not ever go through this again."

"No, I'm done. I promise."

Rafal couldn't keep from laying a protective hand on his wife's belly as they boarded the shuttlecraft heading for the spacedock. The _Enterprise_ had just been through hell…again. Chang's attack shook the ship hard enough for the Ryosian man to nearly fly into a panic over Laken's safety. Her insistence in joining the crew's storming of the Khitomer conference didn't really ease his worries either.

But that was all over now. The couple had stood on the bridge as they sailed towards that "second star on the left" for the last time. It was such a surreal moment for everyone there. The starship had been a large part of their lives (physically and emotionally) for so long. Thinking about a different group of people piloting it in their stead was a bit sad, but Laken was quite ready to step away, especially with the baby coming.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, definitely."

And she truly meant it. Every soul aboard that vessel was prepared to step into the next chapter of their lives.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Hi again! Just so you know, some parts of this chapter are based on A.C. Crispin's novel, Sarek (which I also do not make any money from). That said, please read on and enjoy.**_

 **debbie white-** **Why, thank you! I'll never amount to Gene's talent, but I'm so glad you like the story =)**

 **00000000000000**

"You're almost done. Just keep pushing."

Rafal's hands upon her arms were enough to deal with the pain, but the heavy labor had worn Laken down quite a bit over the past several hours. Still, she focused on the midwife and kept at it.

"Oh, she's crowning. Here it comes."

Those words spurred the exhausted woman to push harder, and it wasn't much longer before she heard the sounds of crying. She had to lean back against her supportive husband for several seconds prior to speaking.

"Is…is she okay?"

The Ryosian nurse turned to them from the washing table with a large smile.

"She's perfect."

Laken reached out to take the bundle from her and gazed down at the newborn. Her thin hair was blonde, just like her father's. The lines beneath her little eyes were a dark emerald green color. Indeed, she was a perfect mix of her parents.

"What should we call her?" Rafal asked, joyfully grasping one of the baby's hands.

After some thinking, the woman was able to come up with something.

"How about…Yesfir?"

Her husband's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"The Russian word for 'star?'" He glanced back down at their daughter. "It suits her so well. Our little star…"

"Do you like that name, Yesfir?"

The baby grinned, letting them know just how spot-on it was.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Laken's stomach dropped. For the last week or so, everything had been so wonderful. Little Yesfir was so curious about the world, and was already able to understand things through her telepathy. It seemed as though a cloud of euphoria was hanging over the entire house. But now, after getting a subspace message from Spock, all of that was gone.

"Mother's health is quite poor, Laken," he'd told her from the travel vessel. "I thought you might wish to accompany me in seeing her."

"Of course, yeah. When will you get here?"

"Within the next two hours."

"Okay, I'll be ready."

The thought of Amanda being near death was devastating, especially after this joyous occasion. Everyone in the household could feel the shift in moods.

"You sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"No, I'll be fine. You can stay with the baby."

Rafal nodded at first, but then, he thought of something else.

"Maybe you should take her with you." Laken seemed hesitant, so he went on. "If Amanda doesn't have long, wouldn't meeting her grandchild be a nice respite?"

"Oh, you have a good point. You don't mind?"

"No, I've got some archiving to do anyways. And Yesfir would love it."

The woman was a little worried about travelling with the baby, but Ryosian infants had a reputation for being unusually resilient. Their youthful curiosities were stronger than any risks. And the chance of the little girl having a memory of her grandmother…

Once she and the child were sufficiently dressed for travel, Laken kissed Rafal goodbye and caught the shuttlecraft. She played with Yesfir's hair to distract her, but the girl seemed to like the journey from the ground to the starship. In any case, it wasn't too long of a trip. The baby quieted down as they wandered into the hall towards the passenger quarters. However, before Laken could find the room assigned to them, a familiar figure stepped into view.

"Spock."

He was professional in stature, like always, but his dark eyes softened upon seeing her.

"I am quite pleased that you came." His gaze shifted towards the infant. "Are you both in good health?"

"Yeah, we are. And you?"

"I am not ill."

"I mean…how are you feeling?"

"Despite the circumstances, I am able to function."

Laken expected an answer like this, but she could feel how troubled her brother was. She certainly didn't blame him. Amanda was too good of a person to be in such a bad way. Even in light of this conflict, neither of the siblings wanted to mar their reunion with upsetting thoughts.

"Where's the rec room?"

Spock arched an eyebrow, obviously relaxed at the subject change.

"This way, I believe."

OOOOOOOOOOO

They spent the rest of the three-day journey catching up with each other. It had only been a little over a month since the peace conference and Laken's retirement, but she couldn't remember the last time they'd been able to talk about things other than their duties. She was even able to persuade Spock to hold his young niece for a few minutes. Though Yesfir flailed a little bit more than the Vulcan was used to, Laken saw something light up in his eyes.

Finally, the ship arrived at the dry planet. The woman took a breath as she, Yesfir, and Spock were beamed straight onto the back patio of their childhood home. Laken tightened her arms around her daughter, hoping to shield her from the heat. But the baby seemed fascinated by the new environment as they proceeded up the walkway. Watching her face made Laken so happy at every moment. However, upon seeing Sarek approach them from the house, the somber mood returned. Father and son saluted each other and spoke in Vulcan for a minute or so. Eventually, the ambassador turned to Laken.

"Greetings, my daughter. My deepest congratulations."

"Thank you. Could I just take her inside real quick? She needs to lay down."

"Of course."

Wanting to give the two Vulcans a chance to catch up, the Ryosian took her child into her old bedroom. It looked just like it did the last time she was there. Now that there was another young one, there was more life in the room than before. Though she could feel how excited the baby still was, she was able to get her to fall asleep with some calm thoughts. For the next hour or so, Laken watched her daughter rest. She feared the worst about Amanda, and felt afraid to find out the truth. Nevertheless, the woman ultimately made herself wander out into the living room. Spock was looking at some of his mother's art, prompting Laken to follow suit.

"She is dying."

This was expected, but it still brought tears to her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"I saw her minutes ago. She's resting again, but…her frailty is extreme."

They didn't speak again for a while. All Laken could think to do was reach out and lay a gentle hand upon his shoulder. There was an immense grief between them, one far too great to put into words.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Amanda woke up briefly the next morning, and while her son sat by her, Laken gave Yesfir some breakfast. Unlike Human babies, Ryosian newborns were able to have soft foods at a much earlier time (despite not having their teeth yet). For now, she was content with having a few bites of scrambled eggs. Her appetite made her mother very optimistic, even in light of the situation.

Soon, she felt Spock leave the house. Before she could wonder where he was going, an unexpected guest came into the kitchen.

"Bones!"

"Hey there, Laken." Things were silent for a brief moment. "Spock asked me to evaluate Mrs. Sarek. I wasn't able to give a better prognosis."

He apologized with his eyes, but she didn't truly believe there was any hope left.

"Thanks for trying. Where's Spock?"

"I think he's going for a hike or something."

"Oh, the mountains."

 _So typical of him…it's not the Vulcan way to talk about it, so he's distracting himself._

And she did the same for the next couple of days. When she wasn't vainly trying to beat her brother at chess, she was either holding Amanda's hand or reading to Yesfir. Right now, it was the latter. They were sitting out by the garden and admiring the different flowers in between pages. It was pleasant enough, but they were soon distracted by an approaching figure.

"Sarek."

The elder Vulcan was silent for a while.

"I wished to bid you farewell."

"Hmm?"

"The Deltan Federation president needs me to negotiate a settlement with a band of Klingons. They've captured an Orion colony."

"Orion? How far away is that?"

"Many lives are at risk, Laken. Amanda understands."

"But…"

She knew he wouldn't make it back in enough time to see his wife again; they both did. Still, there wasn't any use in arguing with Vulcan logic.

 _The needs of the many…_

But the timing was awful. Laken tried to appear neutral, prodding Sarek to sit next to her on the bench.

"I would remain here if not for this crisis."

"I know."

"Spock doesn't seem to have your viewpoint."

That didn't surprise her. If anything was going to put another rift between Spock and his father, this was it.

"Well…nobody can have the perfect viewpoint at a time like this."

His first impulse was to disagree, but Sarek merely took in the garden view alongside his adoptive daughter. After a few more seconds, Yesfir began to get fussy.

"May I?"

The man held out his arms. Pleasantly surprised by his openness, Laken carefully allowed the squirming baby to crawl into his awaiting grasp. Yesfir giggled, tugging at the sleeve of his robe with her tiny hands.

"Aw, she likes you."

"She has a great amount of energy. It will make Amanda very happy to meet her."

"Yeah, maybe once she's rested a bit more."

"Indeed." He gave the child back to her mother. "Be well in my absence, daughter. And, if you would be so kind, help Amanda and Spock be well."

"I will. Same to you."

With one more affectionate glance, the ambassador was gone. At some point later on, Spock came out to the garden and began pacing. Not wanting to alarm her child, Laken reached out with her mind.

 _Spock…I didn't want him to leave either._

 _And yet, he left all the same. Duty was more important than his own family, as always._

She sent her feelings towards her sibling in an attempt to comfort him, and while she could still sense his conflict, he was appeased enough to sit down.

"Mother has only days left. I see no reason for him to leave."

"Is there any logic in it?"

"Logic is irrelevant at the moment."

 _Wow._

They sat in silence for a long time before the Vulcan broke through the quiet.

"You should take Yesfir to see her now. She'll wake soon."

Laken picked up her baby and wandered back up the hill, leaving Spock with his thoughts. It felt a bit chilly in her adoptive mother's room, but when the aged woman opened her eyes, it suddenly became warm.

"Sweetheart." Her smile widened upon seeing the infant. "Oh, you brought her!"

The Vulcan healer helped Amanda sit up before leaving the room. Laken wasted no time in sitting beside her and placing Yesfir on the bed. The child tried climbing onto her grandmother's lap, but she wasn't quite strong enough yet.

"Easy, pumpkin." The Ryosian eased the little one up, placing her into Amanda's thin arms. "There you go."

"Hello, Yesfir." She gazed down at her with a warm smile. "You're so beautiful, like your mom."

"I can't believe how active she is already."

"Isn't that common?"

"Yeah, but she's part Human. I thought that would slow the process." She grinned. "Good thing I was wrong."

"Perhaps it depends on the species."

"True. And who can say that being different is a bad thing?"

The two women simply looked at each other for a while. Laken couldn't believe that this would end soon. In less than a week, Amanda's smile, her good nature…

"Oh, none of that." Amanda grasped her adoptive daughter's hand as her eyes watered. "I've made peace with this, Laken."

"I know, I just…"

"What?"

"I wish my lifespan wasn't so long."

"Why on Earth is that?"

"We have to watch our loved ones die while we go on."

"But that's just it. You _get_ to go on. You get to live with the love of your life, to watch your daughter grow up. I had that same privilege."

She knew Amanda was right, but it was unbearable. Sheila's death was enough of a blow, and she wasn't her only Human friend. Would this become a regular thing? Regardless of the answer, thinking about it right now was too upsetting. Her second mother needed her.

"You saved my life, Amanda."

"You saved us as well. Especially Spock."

Laken held onto her hand, trying to memorize the warmth of it. Chances were good that she wouldn't have many more opportunities to do so.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

She leaned back into the cushion of the sofa, holding her sleeping daughter to her chest. It was all over. Amanda had died in peace, with her son by her side. Though he'd tried to deny it with Sarek upon his return, Spock later admitted that his mother seemed content during her last moments. The two Vulcans nearly ended up getting killed while unearthing that conflict shortly after the memorial service. Despite the danger, they'd managed to find some sort of common ground by the end of it. Now, Laken was aboard the _Enterprise_ , waiting to be brought back to Ryos. Everyone was so overwhelmed by what they'd just endured again; it actually proved to be an effective distraction from Amanda's passing. But the grief was still there.

To make things worse, Laken's migraines were back. Aside from starting her medication again, all she could do was focus on Yesfir. However, she found herself recollecting her last conversation with her second mother. Amanda lived a full life, despite it not being as long as her spouse's, or the spans of her children. In an odd way, the Ryosian envied her short life. She herself would surely see more deaths before her days were done. It wasn't something she was looking forward to.

 _Well…hopefully, I won't have to deal with it again for a while._

Unfortunately, the woman's hopes would end up only being mere hopes.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**Hi again! Sorry this took a while, but I hope you like it. Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf63-** **Thanks so much for commenting!**

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 _Ryos; 2299_

"Sweetie, be careful."

"Yes, Mommy."

Laken stood by, keeping a close watch on her six-year-old child. Yesfir was growing more adventurous each day, and now, her interests were directed towards all and any mechanical gadgets. Her mother was reminded of a few departed friends. Sheila, Scotty, Jim…how proud they would've been if they were still here. But even though they weren't, it seemed as though their spirits were alive inside of Yesfir.

Despite this, the little girl had a habit of running towards anything that looked interesting. While Rafal was at the Ryosian archives, Laken had to make sure Yesfir's curiousity didn't get her into trouble. Luckily, there hadn't been too many problems. If anything, the woman was a bit worried about her daughter's social life. She'd just started going to learning groups, and she hadn't made any friends yet. Still, it was similar to her own experiences, just on a different planet. Maybe the child would follow in her footsteps when it came to that.

But in any case, her current social skills were certainly better than her mother's. For the past few years, Laken had sensed that something was amiss with her and Spock's relationship. They still communicated every day, of course; Spock was perfecting his diplomatic studies on Vulcan, so they made it a point to not lose contact. However, in the back of her mind, the woman felt like he was in a slightly darker place than she was.

 _I'm sure he still grieves for Jim._

She'd suspected this for a while, but never brought it up. For some reason, she was almost afraid of pushing him away. Though the Ryosian knew it wasn't a good idea to leave things unspoken, preserving the peace between them was more of a priority right now. And circumstances were very peaceful. Her husband's work placed him in the archives most of the time, but every now and then, he'd go aboard a Federation vessel and speak to some trainees. The Ryosian High Powers had spent the past year trying to make more of an effort to be involved with Starfleet, so sessions like this were very important in improving planetary relationships. And another one of those gatherings was scheduled for today.

"I should be home by tomorrow afternoon or so," Rafal muttered as he held his daughter. "You'll be a good girl, right?"

"Okay."

Yesfir smiled as she always did, and her father quickly returned it. Laken felt such warmth at the sight. Despite him being 105 years old, nothing about him had changed. His grin, his eyes, the way he looked at her…it was all the same.

"You sure you can handle her?"

"I'll do my best."

After releasing a chuckle, the man leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you."

"Love you too," she replied, briefly glancing at Yesfir as she wandered away. "Have fun."

"Always do."

Once he left, the little girl suddenly ran back into the room with great excitement.

"Can we watch Daddy take off?"

Laken grinned.

"Always do."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Okay, I'll see you all again after the break."

Rafal walked out of the conference area with a confident feeling. The new batch of students seemed like they were absorbing every one of his astronomy-related tidbits so far, which wasn't a surprise. Things had been tense amongst everyone ever since the conspiracy from years earlier, but now that it was over, the cadets were able to relax a lot more when it came to learning.

 _They'll be officers in no time._

As he headed down the hallway towards one of the rec rooms, something stopped him in his tracks. There was some sort of aura in the air, and it just didn't feel right. Against his better judgment, the Ryosian allowed that thin link to lead him down an engineering corridor. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first glance, but the emotions of someone nearby were quite disturbing. Hate, prejudice, an overwhelming desire for destruction…

There was something beeping, but Rafal was more curious about the voices that were growing louder as he approached.

"You're sure this'll work?"

"Yeah, nobody'll have any doubt."

Upon slowly peeking around the corner, the Ryosian man was shocked at what he saw. Three men were wiring some sort of explosive to the wall of the corridor, and they appeared to be Klingon. Though he knew he couldn't use his communicator without being caught, Rafal quickly thought of something else, a solution that didn't require any kind of mechanical signal.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 _ **Laken!**_

 _Rafal?_

Back on their home planet, she was shocked out of her chair by the urgency in the bond.

 _Klingons. They're on the ship!_

 _What? How could they have gotten there?_

 _I…_

Just then, one of the aliens hissed.

"Dammit!"

While it wasn't unusual for someone to cut his or her finger, Rafal was suddenly reminded of something that had occurred during the storming of the Khitomer conference.

 _Wait…that's not Klingon blood!_

Right when the Human turned to lick the red blood from his hand, he looked in just the wrong place.

"Hey!"

Rafal's phaser was in the air pretty quickly, but so were the other three.

"Don't move."

As much as he wanted to sound brave, he was outnumbered.

"What're you gonna do now?"

"You don't really think you'll get away with this, do you?"

The disguised intruder chucked before speaking again.

"These charges are Klingon by design. Who would blame anyone else?"

 _Rafal, what's happening?_

 _They're Humans dressed as Klingons. They must've been part of the conspiracy._

He wanted his wife to have as much information as possible, but it was getting harder to think. The man was quickly becoming aware of the gravity of his predicament, and if something were to happen in the next few moments, he had to limit the casualties.

"It's for the best, friend," one of the other conspirators said to him, fingering the detonator. "Don't do anything stupid."

Remembering that there was an emergency blast door right behind him, Rafal pictured where the control panel was located. Though he didn't know whether he had minutes or seconds, he bunched everything together as efficiently as possible.

 _Listen to me, Laken. They've wired the ship to blow, but you have to make sure everything is examined. The Klingons are not responsible for this._

 _Of course, but…we're going to examine it together, aren't we?_

 _Take care of Yesfir, and yourself. I love you both._

Suddenly, one of the disguised men activated the detonator. Less than a second later, Rafal squeezed out a phaser shot towards one of the explosive's main circuits. The main conspirator raised his own weapon, but the Ryosian had already turned around and fired once more at the door's panel. Seeing the blast doors close tightly relieved whatever pain he might've felt from being shot in the back. Just as he felt the force of an ignition behind him, he reached out to Laken with all of his remaining strength.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The woman was frozen. She could feel every part of the unbelievable situation through their link. The spark of the phaser blast against the wires, the hatred within the humans, the unbreakable resolve of her husband…

It wasn't long before other images passed between them. They recollected the day they first met on that amusement park of a planet, along with every time they'd seen each other aboard the ship. She could hear him saying that he loved her for the first time, and she could feel that affection swell on the night of their honeymoon. Now, she felt his emotions going in so many different chaotic directions. Holding onto his essence was all she could think to do in her shock and terror.

 _Rafal—_

Then, something broke deep within her mind. No matter how frantically she felt around for their bond, it was gone. _He_ was gone.

"No…"

She fell from the chair, onto her hands and knees. Everything felt like it was collapsing around her. The very ground was caving in, and nothing could stop her from falling. Except…

"Mommy?" She looked up to see her daughter slowly approaching. "Where's Daddy?"

Unable to endure looking at the tears filling her child's eyes, Laken opened her arms just in time for Yesfir to run into them. She held onto her, as she would to a raft at sea. Their child was now the only thing grounding her to reality, the only thing keeping her sane. The woman was still too shocked to believe all of this was happening, but maybe she was better off. To endure the coming days, she needed every bit of might she could muster.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hi again! Read on and enjoy.**_

 **BadWolf63-** **Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you still like the story =)**

 **0000000000000000**

There were very few opportunities to feel happy the next day, but Laken tried to find comfort in the fact that Rafal was successful in both foiling the plot and preventing widespread death. He'd destroyed the key ignition wire in the charges upon firing at it, and the smaller explosion didn't make it past the emergency doors. Aside from himself and the three conspirators, there were only five other casualties. It was still a horrid tragedy, but many more surely would've been killed if not for his actions. Upon examining the wreckage, officials were also able to find scattered remains of the invaders; it wasn't long before the full truth was revealed.

 _It wasn't in vain…_

No matter how many times she tried to tell herself this, the woman could barely function. All she could do was make sure Yesfir was eating enough, and that she was going about her life as normally as possible. The child was still heartbroken, of course, but at least she was still able to be a child. Laken wanted nothing more than to break down and cry herself to sleep. However, that wasn't an option; she needed to be strong for her daughter.

The only respite she could indulge in came when her comrades began sending their condolences. Speaking with Uhura and Bones meant a lot, as did the sympathetic words from Chekov and Sulu. Oddly, she ended up hearing from all of them before Spock. Nevertheless, when she finally felt him calling to her, the contact was appreciated.

 _My sister…I grieve with thee._

 _Thank you, Spock._

 _Are you in need of anything? Vulcan is only—_

 _No, we're fine._

She could feel his concern for her, but like before, something about him was far away. He was blocking part of himself from her view. Though Laken might've wanted to open her feelings to him in the past, she didn't feel like it was safe to do so now. But she was in no state to stress herself out over anything.

 _If you require any kind of assistance, Laken, you need only ask._

 _I will. Thank you._

Soon after they finished talking, the woman simply fiddled around with some things on her communication consul. Any kind of distraction was a welcome one. But after a few seconds, a new video call request appeared the screen. Even in light of her fatigue, seeing whom it was from warmed her insides the tiniest bit. She took a small breath before accepting the call.

"Sarek."

Though her adoptive father was as stoic as ever, she could see the sorrow in his eyes.

"I was just informed of this news while at the embassy." There was a small pause. "Laken, I grieve with thee."

"Thank you. I'm really glad that you called. It's just…"

Suddenly, she saw something pop up in one corner of the screen. Her first impulse was to ignore it, but the document appeared to contain the High Powers' insignia. She took a moment to open it, only to regret doing so a few seconds later.

"They can't do this."

"What is it?"

"Rafal's parents…they want full custody of Yesfir."

The Vulcan's expression quickly became much graver.

"Surely Ryosian law wouldn't allow that."

"It came right from the Powers. There's a hearing in five days. I…I'm sorry, I have to figure this out. I'll call you back."

Laken abruptly ended the interaction, praying the document would disappear if she stared at it long enough.

OOOOOOOOOOO

For the next few days, the grieving woman attempted to reason with her in-laws by means of private messages. However, each and every one of them ended up being blocked; attending the hearing was the only clear avenue. She wasn't looking forward to it, but when the day arrived, Laken dressed in traditional Ryosian mourning clothes and saw her daughter to her youth group before heading to the High Chambers.

She'd never had any cause to go there before, so seeing it for the first time was incredibly daunting. The room itself appeared to be very ancient, but there was enough modern technology to remind her of what century they were in. Upon entering through the large wooden doors, Laken looked up to see two males and two females sitting at a long table on the opposite end of the room. Though they had been leading the planet for at least a century, their physical forms told a different story. Adar stopped aging at fifteen, while Dortias appeared to be about sixty or so. Paluda didn't look any older than thirty, and with an eighty-year-old physique, Lady Zille seemed to be the eldest of the Powers.

"Come forward, Laken," Lord Adar said.

Laken did just that, and stopped a few feet from the table as Paluda spoke.

"You have our deepest sympathies for your loss."

"Thank you, my lady."

"We will be looking at this matter from all viewpoints, since the prime objective is the child's wellbeing. The plaintiffs may now enter."

A side door opened to reveal Rembrandt and Rika, and the couple slowly walked into the room without even looking at Laken. They were also dressed in black, but it was still odd to see such young-looking people dress so formally.

"It is correct that you are seeking complete custody of the child Yesfir?" asked Dortias.

"Yes," Rika said.

"And why is it that you think you would be better suited to raise the girl than her own mother?"

"Well, if Yesfir were raised in our household, there would be two parents involved in her life, as opposed to just one."

"Indeed," Rembrandt added. "In fact, someone is here to vouch for us today, someone who knows all too well what the consequences are when a child is missing a parent."

Just then, an unfamiliar Ryosian man entered the room. Laken didn't recognize him from anywhere. He appeared to be in his early forties, and there were red lines beneath his eyes.

"Members of the High Powers, my name is Ivar. I'm here because my daughter is dead. She was stolen from me long ago, and had it not been for that injustice, she would still be here."

Ivar slid a data disc into the nearby computer. Laken started off by feeling the sympathy of a bystander, but upon seeing whose face appeared on the main screen, her insides knotted up.

 _Abilene!_

It was the exact picture that she'd kept on her dresser for the past several decades. And now, this man had it in his possession. She suddenly realized the significance of his presence.

"You're my mother's first husband?"

He nodded wordlessly as Rembrandt resumed speaking.

"My lords and ladies, surely you understand now how detrimental it would be to leave poor Yesfir in the hands of one parent."

Laken's anger was set alight at the couple's invasion.

"How _dare_ you!" Before either of them could reply, the grieving mother continued. "You don't know a thing about my sister. Leave her out of this!"

"We must hear all arguments, Laken," Lady Paluda interjected.

"It's not even a valid argument. Abilene was disturbed, but it had nothing to do with Mom leaving Ryos."

"Be that as it may, it has to be taken into consideration that Yesfir would benefit from being in a home with two adults to look after her. And due to this tragedy, you do not have anyone to raise her with."

Poor Laken didn't have a response for this, but an entirely different voice ultimately broke the silence.

"In fact, she does."

Everyone turned to see someone entering from the side door, and it was hard to tell who was more surprised. Eventually, Dortias found his voice.

"Ambassador…"

"You must please excuse my late arrival, but my transport only landed twenty-three minutes ago." The Vulcan gazed at his adopted daughter for a moment before going on. "As I was saying, even in light of recent events, it would be most illogical to remove Yesfir from her mother's care."

"Sarek, as much as your wisdom is appreciated, the child's grandparents would provide a stable environment. Raising her alone might prove to be too much for Laken."

"She will not be alone." Before any of the High Powers could object, he continued. "What if she were to join the household of a second party?"

"What do you mean? Who?"

"I am referring to myself." Everyone seemed shocked to hear this, but Sarek turned to look at the Ryosian couple. "While there is no way to fill the void left behind by your son, I would provide a stable home for both my daughter and my granddaughter."

Though the Powers seemed satisfied by this, Rika wasn't having it.

"A home on _Vulcan,_ you mean? Lords and ladies, he isn't even related to Yesfir!"

"Your argument is based around the importance of two parental figures," Zille retorted. "Surely a fellow ambassador would offer a suitable environment for the child. We understand that you and your husband are her biological grandparents, but Laken is her mother."

Realizing what direction this was going in, Laken took a small breath. The four Powers joined hands and meditated for a minute or two. Eventually, Lord Adar spoke up.

"Ambassador Sarek, you are giving your word to accept both Laken and Yesfir into your home, and to raise the child as your own until she comes of age?"

"Yes."

"And Laken, do you agree to this as well?"

All of this was a large shock to the grieving woman, but all that mattered was keeping her daughter.

"Yes, I do."

"Very well. You are hereby assured full custody of your daughter."

Barely able to keep her composure, the woman closed her eyes.

"Thank you, my lords. And ladies."

She took a moment to glance at Sarek, who seemed equally relieved with the decision.

"Will you require assistance?"

"No. We'll need some time, though."

"As much as you need," the Vulcan told her. "I will ready rooms for you both."

"Thank you."

The Ryosian watched Sarek leave through the side door for a moment. However, her attention was soon drawn to Ivar. It was difficult to find the right words, but the tension eventually pushed her in the right way.

"I'm sorry, sir." He looked at her without answering. "For all of this."

There was nothing else to say, so the woman made her way towards the main exit. Then, all of a sudden, a hand grabbed her arm.

"Laken…" She turned around to see Rika. "Please, _please_ don't take her away from us."

The other woman ultimately let go, but Laken didn't step back just yet. She couldn't believe the audacity. They had never given her the time of day, and had just tried to take Yesfir. And now, they were acting like the wronged party?

"She's going to a household with two parents. That's what you wanted, right? Anyways, she can decide whether or not to see you when she's of age."

"After you poison her against us," Rembrandt retorted.

Laken couldn't hold back a small scoff.

"Oh, don't worry. As you're so fond of pointing out, I'm not on the same level as the two of you."

Not wanting to give them another moment, she turned away and left the High Chambers. Though she felt numb at the prospect of leaving Ryos, her in-laws surely wouldn't give her any peace if she stayed. And her heart craved peace at this horrible time.

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 _ **Let me know what you think.**_


	29. Chapter 29

**_Hi again! This one's a bit shorter, but I hope you like it. Read on and enjoy!_**

 **BadWolf63- Thanks so much for reviewing; it means a lot! And I'm glad you still like the story =)**

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 _Vulcan; ShiKahr_

The closer they got to Vulcan, the more the reality of it sunk in. It was really daunting to think about going back to live on a planet that made her feel so unwelcome in the past, especially since her daughter was accompanying her. Would the child have the same experiences that she did?

 _No. Things are different now._

Indeed, they were. The dry world's overall mood had been cold in her youth, but the aloofness of the elder Vulcan was the coldest thing of all. However, in this case, his presence would be their safe haven. Also, Yesfir still remembered the one occasion that she'd been on the planet before, when she'd gotten to meet her wonderful Human grandmother for the first and only time. That memory was more than enough to cause the young Ryosian to be pleased about coming here.

Eventually, the ship reached its destination and beamed the nervous passengers directly onto the walkway of the homestead. It was odd to see this house again, but as they went inside, the woman's reluctance died down. Sarek was waiting in the sitting room, and rose to his feet upon seeing them.

"Greetings."

Laken smiled, barely able to contain her feelings. In light of their unpleasant history, she couldn't believe how far he'd gone for her. Not only had he saved her life years earlier, but also, when her daughter was about to be stolen from her, he'd travelled such a long distance to stop that from happening. And now, he was opening his home to both of them.

"Grandpa Sarek!"

Before either of the adults could say or do anything, Yesfir had run forward and thrown her arms around Sarek's waist.

"Oh, sweetheart, that's not…"

"It's quite all right."

With a surprisingly relaxed expression, the Vulcan placed his hands upon the girl's shoulders and carefully moved her back. She seemed confused, but her mother swiftly walked to her side.

"Yesfir, he's a Vulcan, remember? They don't show their emotions like we do."

"Like Uncle Spock?"

"Yes," Laken confirmed with a grin, pleased at her understanding. "Yes, like Uncle Spock. They have feelings, but they express them inside their minds."

Yesfir's eyes beamed in realization. After another moment, she gently reached up to the man.

"May I take your hand?"

Sarek offered his palm without hesitation. The contact only lasted for about ten seconds or so, but judging by the soothed look on her face, the elder Ryosian could tell that the child knew his true sentiments.

"Spock never kept many adornments in his quarters," the Vulcan stated, still grasping his granddaughter's hand, "so I had it prepared for her. Is that suitable?"

"Yes, thank you. Do you mind if I go out to the garden for a bit?"

"Not at all."

While her adoptive father took her daughter to her new room, Laken headed out the back door. The garden hadn't really changed; despite Amanda's absence, it appeared that Sarek still tended to the various plants. Their colors reminded her so much of the Human woman who'd saved her life and raised her as her own. In fact, she also found herself thinking about many other things from the past. The lake by her Seattle home had the prettiest pink flowers in the spring, and whenever she and Sheila would take a walk between classes, they'd pass by the campus greenhouse. And the floral life of Ryos…

Then, all of a sudden, everything started pouring out. She collapsed to the ground and hugged herself, not even trying to restrain her sobs. How could any of this be real? The warmest memories of her husband did nothing to calm her. Rafal was dead, and she would never see him again. She would never again feel his reassuring touch, nor would she see the way he looked at his daughter, and at her. They'd always have recollections of him, but for him to actually be _gone_ —

"Laken."

The Ryosian turned around, embarrassed at her appearance.

"Oh, I'm…I'm sorry."

"There is no need to ask forgiveness." Sarek reached down and helped her to her feet. "Come."

They sat upon the nearby bench. Laken wiped at her face, vainly trying to hide her tears from the Vulcan. After a minute or so, she made herself speak.

"How's Yesfir?"

"She seems to have settled adequately."

"Good."

"I do not wish you to feel as though you cannot be yourself here."

"Thank you, but…I know it makes you uncomfortable."

"That is a Human feeling."

The woman nearly chuckled, but her sadness made it impossible. However, Sarek soon laid the fingers of one hand over Laken's. She could feel his grief for her loss, along with his own enduring sorrow for Amanda. In addition to this, she could also sense how pleased he was that they were there. Despite his duties, the empty homestead had aroused feelings of intense lonliness over the past few years. But now, the presence of another child would surely bring life back into the environment; the Vulcan was determined to not make the same mistakes with Yesfir that he'd made with his other children.

After several minutes of quiet sharing, Sarek spoke again.

"The transport beamed down your belongings a short while ago."

"Oh, okay."

"Will you need assistance?"

"Probably not, but I'll let you know if that changes."

"Please do."

The two of them stood up and began walking back towards the house. Any doubts that had lingered in Laken's mind before arriving here were no longer present. Despite having to leave the place she'd called home for such a long time, she didn't feel quite as hopeless as before. For the first time in her life, she was able to call Vulcan home.

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 ** _Let me know what you think._**


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